With the same motor and a similar profile to the ultralight Lumen, but with more travel and a broader remit, the new 17.9kg Voltage promises to amp up the experience and compete for a spot among the best lightweight e-bikes. Before I take a closer look at this 900 Tuned model, you can find out more about the entire Scott Voltage range in our news story and range overview.

The Scott Voltage eRide 900 Tuned packs a lot of heat into the sleek carbon frame.

Scott Voltage Need to know

• Scott resurrects the Voltage name for its latest mid-power e-bike
• 155mm of rear wheel travel along with hidden shock and 29in wheels
• Compact TQ HPR50 motor takes up very little space but delivers 50Nm of torque and 300W of peak power
• 360Wh internal battery can be supplemented with 160Wh range extender
• Hidden shock and concealed cable routing gives an exceptionally smooth silhouette
• Four models including two women-specific versions, starting with the Voltage eRide 920 at £6,599
• 17.9kg claimed weight for the eRide 900 SL

For its latest model, Scott has delved into the archive and resurrected the Voltage, but this time as a lightweight trail e-bike rather than a freeride monster. Fitted with the inconspicuous TQ HPR50 motor, and sporting a concealed shock and hidden cables, the new Voltage is so cloak-and-dagger it could have been designed by ‘Q branch’.

This is not Scott’s first rodeo when it comes to TQ-equipped, hidden-shock, diet e-bikes, having released the Lumen last summer. But while the Lumen is very much an XC bike – something akin to a Spark with Nino Schurter shrunken into the BB and turning the cranks like a superhuman biped hamster – the Voltage is pitched as an aggressive trail bike in the spirit of the current Genius, with the beef to handle being hammered by less sympathetic pilots than our Nino.

Hiding the shock in the frame is an engineering feat and a visual treat, but also should improve service intervals as less contaminants can get to it.

Quantify that numerically and we’re talking about 155mm of rear wheel travel, a 160mm travel fork, a 63.9º head angle in the slackest setting, and 29in wheels. But do those numbers add up to a successful ride formula? Let’s find out.

A clear plastic frame reveals the extent of the packaging challenge faced by Scott in designing the Voltage.

Frame and geometry

Weight is usually one of the bullet points at the start of any Scott product presentation, and the Voltage was no exception. With a headline weight of 17.9kg for the range-topping eRide 900 SL, the new Voltage is competitive against the likes of the Mondraker Neat (17.9kg), and Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo SL (17.65kg), while undercutting the Whyte E-Lyte 150 Works by a healthy 1.8kg. Drop down a rung and you’re looking at 19.2kg on our scales for the 900 Tuned tested here in size large, and around 19kg for the eRide 910 and 920, even though all models use the same carbon frame. The 160Wh range extender – standard on the eRide 900 SL – adds around 950g to that figure.

The super-clean lines are accentuated by the hidden cable routing, but it doesn’t make for especially user-friendly DIY servicing.

It’s no surprise that Scott has chosen the TQ system, being the lightest and most compact option currently on the market. Just 1.85kg for the motor, and 1.83kg for the battery, it can be packaged into the tightest spaces – particularly handy if you’re trying to find space inside the frame to hide a shock.

That’s right, not only has Scott managed to hide the motor and battery inside the frame, but it has massaged enough space for a piggy-back shock and all the cables required for the TQ system as well as Scott’s Tracloc remote travel and geometry adjust. Yes, this thing smuggles better than an international drug mule. Scott calls it Integrated Suspension Technology, and it’s now the common denominator of all Scott’s full-suspension bikes except for the Gambler DH bike and Ransom e-Ride.

The resurrected Voltage name sits nicely alongside the retro 80s graphics.

Why go to all that trouble? Well, Scott cites the benefits of lowering the centre of gravity and localising frame reinforcement, which are valid reasons, but marginal in terms of gains. The real advantage comes from the sleek looks, which help differentiate Scott from 99.99% of other brands out there (Bold Cycles and Berria also offer bikes with hidden shocks), and the fact that less dirt and grit can contaminate the shock, which can help prolong service intervals. There’s also a nifty internal sleeve that keeps all the cables secure and away from the movement of the shock, as well as a channelling device that simplifies routing the dropper cable. And an external sag indicator incorporated into the upper link makes it simple to set up the suspension. Measuring articulation of the linkage rather than travel at the shock shaft, also gives a more accurate indication of sag, and lets you see whether full travel has been achieved. Regardless of whether you see Integrated Suspension Technology as design driven largely by form, or by function, It’s hard not to admire Scott’s ingenuity and engineering prowess in pulling it off when there’s also a motor and battery involved.

The Tuned model runs a piggyback shock, while the fork isn’t hooked up to Scott’s remote geometry and travel adjust system.

Obviously the recently-released Ransom’s six-bar, around the BB design is out of the question when there’s a motor involved, so the Voltage uses a similar layout to the Genius, with the shock mounted vertically inside the seat tube and driven by an extension of the upper link. With space being so confined, it’s quite a short link with a tight radius, and that means more leverage rate change through the travel. Shorter shock stroke also means the shock has to work harder, which generates more heat. Heat that can’t escape as readily as it can on a frame where the shock is open to the air. Equally, the TQ motor also gets very hot, turning the thermostat up even higher. Having said that, the ambient temperature during the launch was over 25ºC, and we were doing 300m drops, without too much stopping, and I didn’t notice any reduction in damping control, even though you could have fried an egg on the motor. Scott is also confident that the design doesn’t cause issues with overheating the shock, and its engineers had this to say on the subject: “After a lot of research and testing with our shock suppliers, the result is that the running temperature range is smaller on a construction with internal shock (i.e. less variation between min & max temperatures). This helps to reach more consistency in shock performances. We have been doing shock temperature measurements since we received the first prototype of the Voltage eRIDE. We have never reached a temperature close to the critical one that our shock suppliers gave us, where the shock performance could start to be reduced”.

Openings around the side and back of the motor help with motor cooling. Tyre clearance between the 2.6in rubber and the seatstay yoke is minimal.

While the geometry and sizing on the Voltage broadly follows Scott’s equivalent analogue bike – the Genius – there are some significant deviations. Across the four frame sizes the reach is longer at the extremes (437mm on the small and 513mm on the XL) while the medium and large share Genius-like measurements of 457mm and 485mm. However, the Voltage is higher than the Genius, with a 7.5mm taller BB height (350mm) and longer seat tubes, presumably to claim back insertion depth taken away by the the motor and shock length. The final big difference is the chainstay length, which at 455mm across all four sizes is relatively long for a diet e-bike and 15mm longer than the Genius. For comparison, the Whyte E-Lyte has 448mm chainstays, the Mondraker Neat runs 450mm, and the Specialized Turbo Levo SL has a dinky 432mm rear centre length (437mm in the 29in wheel position).

Scott does incorporate the ability to adjust the head angle on the Voltage. Drop-in headset cups give three rakes, 63.9º, 64.5º, and 64.9º. You can rotate the offset cup to go from the slackest to the steepest setting, but installing the neutral cup involves disconnecting all the hoses and cables.

The monochrome TQ display offers loads of data and a precise battery status.

Motor and battery

The smallest, lightest, and quietest mid-power system on the market, TQ’s packaging makes it hard to distinguish between e-bike and analogue bike. TQ’s harmonic ring motor runs concentric to the bottom bracket axle, which is the key to its small footprint, but kicks out a claimed 50Nm of peak torque and 300w of peak power. It weighs a claimed 1.85kg. Providing power is a 360Wh internal battery that weighs 1.83kg and can be boosted by an external 160Wh range extender which locks securely into a specific base plate. Even with the range extender fitted, the Voltage has enough space in the front triangle for a water bottle as well.

The Voltage gets a new slim-line charging port, also used for connecting the range extender.

While not the punchiest motor on steep climbs, it has a natural feel and low drag, so you can ride it in mid and low power modes while staying relatively fresh. On the launch I managed 890m of climbing in mid-power with 15% remaining from the internal battery. Extrapolate that out and 1,000m should be easily doable.

TQ’s display is nestled in the top tube and shows a host of cool info, like rider power and motor power, as well as the basics like mode and battery remaining. There’s a slim remote on the bars to change power mode, activate walk mode, and cycle through the display screens, but I found it interfered with Scott’s TracLoc remote, and I couldn’t quite get both of them in the perfect position.

Remove the cover to access the shock valve and damping adjusters.

Suspension

As with most Scott models, the Voltage incorporates the latest evolution of the TracLoc three-position ‘lockout’. But to call it a lockout is misleading, since the shock never actually locks. Instead Scott has worked with Fox to design a piggyback shock (the Float X Nude) with a secondary positive air chamber that can be blocked off at the press of the handlebar mounted remote. This makes it extremely difficult to achieve full travel, effectively reducing the travel and raising the dynamic sag. So you have more ground clearance, a steeper head and seat angle that helps put your body in a better position for climbing, and a tighter, more responsive back end under power, when sprinting. A further click of the remote adds compression damping, further improving efficiency at the expense of bump tracking. Now  Scott tethers both the fork and the shock to the system on most of the range, which adds a cable and restricts the choice of forks and fork dampers that can be run. Detrimentally to the overall ride experience in our opinion. The sole exception is the bike I rode on the launch – the eRide 900 Tuned. Here, you get a superlative Grip2 damper in the 160mm travel Fox 36 fork, giving ultimate control over high and low speed damping.

The sag indicator is simple, effective, and more accurate than reading off a shock shaft.

Setting the sag is easy and accurate thanks to the dial indicator on the upper link, but while the shock is surprisingly accessible once you remove the hatch at the base of the down tube, you do have to keep bending down to attach and detach the shock pump and fiddle with damping adjusters.

The Voltage eRide 900’s T-Type AXS mech is plumbed into the main battery, so you don’t need to worry about charging it separately.

Components

For £10,999 you’d expect some pretty tasty bits on the eRide 900 Tuned. And while everything is high end, the plethora of Syncros proprietary components doesn’t feel as boutique as something like Whyte’s E-Lyte with its Hope parts.

The AXS Rocker paddle is a joy to use compared to the latest AXS pod unit.

Syncros provides the carbon Revelstoke wheels, one-piece Hixon IC handlebar/stem combo, adjustable Duncan dropper post, and Tofino saddle. The drivetrain is SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type with an E*Thirteen carbon crank, but Scott has gone for the AXS rocker controller rather than the latest pods, which provides a much more intuitive and ergonomic gear change interface. SRAM also supplies the Code Stealth four-piston brakes with thicker HS2 rotors.

SRAM Code brakes are fitted with thicker HS2 rotors.

In an effort to maximise range without sacrificing too much grip or traction, Scott has gone for fat, 2.6in Maxxis Assegai and Dissector tyres, both in mid Max Terra compound. A good choice in my view.

The Voltage has stacks of standover clearance.

Performance

From a category that barely existed 18-months ago, the Voltage finds itself competing against a smorgasbord of diet designs. Given the travel and geometry, the clearest competitors that I’ve personally ridden are the Mondraker Neat and the Specialized Turbo Levo SL, both of which boast 160mm forks and 150mm travel at the rear. And with a TQ motor, 29in wheels and exactly the same weight, the Mondraker Neat couldn’t be closer on paper. However, I’d say the Voltage, at least in 900 Tuned guise, has a unique ride of its own. One aspect to consider when setting up the Voltage is that you can be generous with sag because the TracLoc remote lets you jack up the dynamic ride height and firm up the suspension for efficient climbing at the flick of a switch. Effectively you can bias downhill performance in the set-up phase and not suffer the consequences on the climbs.

Longer chainstays and Scott’s TracLoc system keep the Voltage fizzing on the climbs.

Climbing

No surprise for guessing that the Voltage eRide flattens gradients and flatters fitness on the ups. Using the light-action TracLoc remote to reduce the shock volume helps increase pedal clearance through tight rock gardens and over ledges, while noticeably improving power transfer to the back wheel. True, the Voltage has quite a bit of ground clearance as standard, but it does mean you can run more sag for a lower BB and not get tangled up on janky climbs, particularly as Scott has fitted relatively long 175mm cranks on the large and XL. It’s so easy to use and so effective, that I miss it when getting back on a bike without it. Going one step further and adding compression damping is not something I felt the need to do aside from ascending smooth fireroads, but it’s there when you need it.

The low standover and lack of mass help you get the Voltage up and over steps like this one.

I can’t really comment on the Voltage’s performance on steep, technical climbs, as we didn’t encounter any during the launch. But from experience, the biggest limiting factor in this regard will be the relatively low peak torque of the motor. Because you have to engage your legs to provide enough torque, you have to run your saddle up, and this makes it much harder to keep the front wheel from lifting.

Using the TracLoc helps drive you forward when you get up to sprint.

Another situation where the TracLoc can be an advantage, aside from getting out of the saddle to sprint, is for additional progression on jump and pump bike park trails. I wouldn’t say the bike feels completely balanced in this mode when you’re hammering into big jumps, but it’s another option to play with on smooth, bike park blue trails where it’s nice to be able to generate speed without pedalling.

Roadrunner and Wil-E-Coyote just out of frame.

Descending

It would be hard to think of a place to hold a bike launch that was less like the UK in mid-winter. Santa Coloma de Farners was basking in heat more typical of a UK summer when I rode the Voltage. In place of deep ruts in the mud, there was loose sand and clouds of dust. Out of the porridge bowl and into the fire, you might say. But the Voltage proved to be an easy bike on which to adapt to the alien conditions. While the Max Terra tyres understeered a bit in the sandy turns, the slack head angle (even in the mid setting) and longish chainstays kept the Voltage balanced and predictable.

The Voltage is easy to chuck about, and there’s plenty of pop from the supportive suspension.

The first line of my notes on the Voltage simply reads ‘loads of support’, and that would be my overriding takeaway from the suspension on the descents. A wall of support to push against in the turns and slapping down from the numerous flat jump landings. It’s hard to say without testing them back to back, but I’m fairly confident there’s not the same level of sensitivity as the Mondraker Neat, and certainly not the Whyte E-Lyte 150 Works, so you work the tyres harder and take a bit more punishment on the Scott. A sensation not helped by the stiff, one-piece bar and stem, and unforgiving carbon rims.

Even in the dusty Spanish conditions, the Voltage felt stable and predictable.

So while it’s more tiring to ride on rougher tracks, it’s extremely rapid on high-speed flow trails. Indeed, this seems to be the Voltage’s forte, where you can load up that platform of support in the turns and effortlessly accelerate out the other side.