Lapierre is well known for pushing the envelope of what’s possible on an electric mountain bike, and its Overvolt model has led the charge against competitors like Haibike, Rotwild, and Specialized.

The 2017 Overvolt is receiving a major update in the form of a radical departure in battery placement. Instead of resting on the downtube like most Bosch-powered ebikes, the 2017 Overvolt’s battery rests right on top of the motor. This is good for weight distribution and handling, however, it’s not quite as pleasing to the eye. Another issue that may arise with the new battery placement is heat, which rises from the motor and directly into the battery. We can only hope that Lapierre has designed an effective heat dispersion system into this bike. After all, nobody wants their bike to shut off in the middle of a steep climb!

The new Overvolt’s frame is constructed of carbon fiber, which obviously should increase strength and reduce weight, and Lapierre has chosen SRAM’s new ebike-specific EX-1 groupset with the XG-899 E-Block 11-48 cassette, which offers phenomenal gearing range and should be especially helpful on steep climbs. Potential buyers should keep in mind that replacing that special SRAM-sourced cassette won’t come cheap. At press time, the cassette alone retails for an eye-popping $390.

The bike comes with Bosch’s new Performance Line CX motor, which offers more torque (70Nm) than the regular Performance Line (60Nm) or Active Line (50Nm) motors. Stopping power comes from a set of SRAM hydraulic disc brakes with massive 200mm brake rotors, and like most modern mountain bikes, the new Overvolt runs on 27.5/650B wheels and tires.