Product news / E-MTB: As part of our major engine check for the 2022 season, we're taking a look at the Specialized 2.2 drive today. In addition to the technical data, we also have laboratory values from the test bench for the performance and range of the E-MTB drive.
E-MTB motors and drives 2022 in check
For the start of the 2022 season, we take a detailed look at the common E-MTB motors: from the top dogs Bosch, Shimano and Brose to newcomers and challengers such as the Sachs RS or the Panasonic GX Ultimate Pro. We took each of the drives to the test laboratory and looked at the performance, range and energy efficiency under comparable conditions. In addition to the battery and controls, we also take a close look at the apps, which are now part of the standard repertoire of almost all drives.
| Bosch Performance CX Gen4 | Shimano EP8 | Brose Drive S Mag | Giant SyncDrive Pro2 | Specialized 2.2 | Sachs RS | Panasonic GX Ultimate Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| maximum torque | 85 Nm | 85 Nm | 90 Nm | 85 Nm | 90 Nm | 112 Nm | 95 Nm |
| weight engine | 2,9 kg | 2,6 kg | 2,9 kg | 2,75 kg | 2,9 kg | 3,5 kg | 2,95 kg |
| Batteries | 400Wh / 500Wh / 625Wh / 750Wh | 504Wh / 630Wh | 630 Wh | 625Wh / 750Wh | 500Wh / 700Wh | - | - |
| Batteries (third party) | - | up to 900 Wh | up to 925 Wh | - | - | up to 725 Wh | 630Wh / 750Wh |
| launch | 2020 | 2020 | 2018 | 2021 | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Product news / E-MTB: As part of our big motor check for the 2022 season, we're taking a look at the Giant SyncDrive Pro2 today. In addition to the technical data, we also have laboratory values from the test bench for the performance and range of the E-MTB drive. E-MTB motors and drives 2022 in check For the start of the 2022 season, we are throwing a […]
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E-MTB motors and drives 2022 on test: Specialized 2.2 drivetrain
Product news / E-MTB: As part of our major engine check for the 2022 season, we're taking a look at the Specialized 2.2 drive today. In addition to the technical data, we also have laboratory values from the test bench for the performance and range of the E-MTB drive. E-MTB motors and drives 2022 in check For the start of the 2022 season, we are throwing a […]
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Specialized 2.2 drive: More than "just" a Brose drive?
It's certainly no longer a secret that the Californians from Specialized rely on a unit from Brose for the motor; in the case of the new Specialized 2.2 it is the Brose Drive S Mag motor; nevertheless: Similar to the SyncDrive drive from Giant, Specialized has given the drive its own name for a good reason. Because even if the motor is also installed in other e-MTBs, the drive also includes batteries, as well as all the sensors, software, tuning and last but not least the control panels, displays and the app. Taken together, all of this ultimately makes up the driving experience, and the Americans can clearly set themselves apart from other Brose drives in terms of motor tuning, operation and app.
Specialized 2.2: The engine
There are no big surprises when it comes to the motor itself: With its maximum torque of 90 Nm and a weight of 2,9 kg, the technical data are the same as those of the Brose Drive S Mag at first glance about the same weight as the Bosch Performance CX.
On the test bench: performance
Anyone who has ridden more than one E-MTB motor will know: Although the technical data are usually very similar according to the respective manufacturers, the motors feel quite different in practice. In order to analyze and objectify these different impressions, we went to the test laboratory with various E-MTBs; Of course, we also looked at the performance of the individual engines there.
We also take a look at the maximum performance that the system delivers. For this we choose a very high input power at the crank of 250 watts and a cadence between 70 and 75, where most motors have their sweet spot.
With 730 watts, the Specialized 2.2 drive is slightly ahead of the "normal" Brose Drive S Mag on average and almost closes the gap to the more powerful Bosch Performance CX. In any case, the Specialized is one of the most powerful regular drives at the moment - apart from the power drives from Sachs and Panasonic, for which you have to make different compromises.
But: As interesting as a look at the maximum performance may be and also provides insights into the performance reserves - the data is only partially relevant for practice. Because, let's be honest: very few e-mountain bikers push 250 watts for a longer period of time. For this reason, we looked at the performance in yet another scenario - at 100 watts of input power.
Similar to the maximum performance, the differences between the Specialized 2.2 and the normal Brose Drive S Mag are not huge even in the normalized measurement, but they are definitely there. Interestingly, however, the Specialized motor holds back a little more in this scenario and therefore has larger reserves for those who pedal a little harder. But: Thanks to the enormously extensive customization options via the Mission Control app, this behavior can also be adapted to your own needs and the route profile.
On the test bench: range
In addition to performance, energy efficiency and thus the range of the various drives should also play an important role for most e-mountain bikers; It is not for nothing that high-capacity batteries are in increasing demand. It is often forgotten that the pure battery capacity does not necessarily say much about the range, since the drives require different amounts of energy. Reliable statements about maximum ranges are only possible to a limited extent anyway, as they depend on a large number of factors. However, in order to shed some light on the matter, we measured the range of the respective drive systems in several runs, often on different bikes. From this, we then calculate the energy consumption in Wh/km – this way, the efficiency can be determined independently of the respective battery size.
Here, too, two scenarios were simulated: Driving on the flat with a 0% incline and 100 W input power and consumption on the mountain with a 10% incline and 130 W input power.
The energy consumption of the Specialized 2.2 is slightly above average in both scenarios, both on the flat and uphill, and is roughly on par with the Giant SyncDrive Pro2. Shimano and above all Bosch are a bit more economical, while the power packs from Panasonic and Sachs draw significantly more power from the batteries.
Characteristics: Brose naturalness with a little more liveliness
With the software tuning, Specialized manages to retain the strengths of the Brose motor on the one hand, while clearly putting its own stamp on the drive. In concrete terms, this means that the driving experience is more natural than with almost any other drive in this performance class. While other motors almost feel like a tame e-moped, the Specialized 2.2 disguises its presence in a very positive way. The much-cited built-in tailwind? Here you can really feel it. The low background noise also contributes to this pleasant feeling and, like the Brose Drive S Mag, the Specialized 2.2 is one of the quietest electric motors around and is unrivaled in this performance class.
Where the Californian's drive differs from the regular Drive S Mag from Brose is its liveliness. The Specialized 2.2 shines with a lot of responsiveness and is a whole lot sportier, especially when explosively accelerating in technically demanding passages.
Specialized 2.2: Two battery types and up to 710 Wh capacity
There are a total of four different types of batteries, but these depend on the E-MTB in question. The Specialized Levo and Kenevo come with battery variants with either 500 or 700 Wh capacity. Both are pushed into the frame from below via a flap in the area of the bottom bracket. On the Specialized Tero, a different battery supplies the drive with energy: It is a bit shorter, but wider and is removed from the down tube in the classic way. You have the choice between 530 Wh or 710 Wh in terms of capacity.
Another special feature is the charging connection: the corresponding Rosenberg plug has three seals and is therefore reliably protected against the ingress of moisture even under the most adverse conditions. Very nicely resolved!
Specialized 2.2: Mastermind TCU – the best eMTB display?
With the introduction of the first Turbo Levo, Specialized was the first major manufacturer to completely do without a display on a modern E-MTB in favor of a tidy cockpit. This paved the way for many other operating concepts that almost all drive manufacturers now offer in one form or another. We were all the more surprised when Specialized announced that all new e-MTBs from model year 2022 would now be equipped with a display - a departure from their own principles? Not even close!
On the sporty E-MTBs like the Levo and Kenevo, the Mastermind TCU – as the control unit or display is called – is located in the top tube. This means that it is still in the field of vision while riding, but without blocking space on the handlebars and causing unnecessary cable clutter there. Of course, the dimensions are a bit more compact due to the placement and the information displayed is not as lavish as with a full-blown display. But: Since you can completely determine the displayed content yourself via the Mission Control app, you have all kinds of freedom here.
On the somewhat touring-oriented Specialized Tero, on the other hand, the Mastermind TCU is used in the classic way as a display on the handlebars - but of course it can also be customized via an app.
In both cases, the operation itself is carried out via an extremely minimalistic, ergonomically successful remote, which only has the most necessary buttons for controlling the drive. Thanks to the rubberized, clearly separated buttons with a decent pressure point, operation is no problem even with gloves and/or difficult weather conditions.
Specialized Mission Control App: The benchmark for e-bike apps
When it comes to e-bike apps, too, Specialized can confidently be ascribed a pioneering role: the very first Levo back in 2015 offered the first version of the Mission Control app - many years before the competition, which only in the past one or two years in this regard. Mission Control, on the other hand, has been continuously further developed and is therefore probably the e-bike app that other manufacturers have to be measured against.
The range of functions is remarkable: When customizing the drive, not only can the support factor and maximum power be set for each support level, but acceleration can also be defined as desired. In addition, there is the so-called shuttle factor: Here the drive calls up a lot of power with a high cadence and low own effort to make the ascent easier.
Of course, comprehensive navigation and tracking functions are also on board. If desired, the journey made can also be easily transferred to Strava or Komoot. In the so-called Smart Control mode, the app automatically controls the parameters of the drive depending on user-defined factors such as: length of the ride, altitude, desired heart rate and what percentage of charge capacity the battery should still have after the ride.