Taiwanese bike brands Giant and Liv have announced the launch of two electric hardtail bikes – the Liv Lurra E+ and the Giant Fathom E+. Both are mid-drive, powered by Giant’s own SyncDrive Pro motors, and both come with 130mm travel forks. Both bikes come as both standard electric hardtail options as well as an EX option, which includes things like racks and mudguards to appeal to the touring and commuting market.

If touring on an e-bike sounds like your cup of tea, make sure you check out our guide to the best electric tourers. We also have a selection of ride guides, including one from Belvoir Castle and the Leicestershire Wolds.

The Liv Lurra E+ and the Giant Fathom E+

Both the Liv and Giant e-hardtails are built on the same concept: to give riders an off-road oriented e-bike with trail geometry but capabilities for more.

The Liv, however, is focused more on feminine riders – with specific frame design and sizing that’s meant to suit more women than traditional bike sizing. Whether or not you need a specific frame is an argument for another day, but the Lurra E+ looks like a pretty approachable way to get into some trail riding without the bulk of a full-suspension setup.

So what do you actually get? Both the Liv Lurra E+ and Giant Fathom E+ series uses an aluminium frame with 130mm suspension forks and a 625Wh EnergyPak battery. It also comes with Giant’s SyncDrive Sport 2 motor, which delivers up to 75Nm of torque. Although it doesn’t come equipped with racks etc., it’s still capable of taking them with the relevant mounting points. You can also attach a 250Wh range extender battery, or upgrade to an 800Wh one over the 625Wh.

The XS and S frames of the Lurra E+ come with 27.5in wheels while the M and L frames use 29in. There is just one bike in the Lurra ‘series’, the Lurra E+ 2. The Giant Fathom E+ also comes with one model, the Fathom E+ 2, which comes with 29in wheels across all sizes. Both bikes are priced at £3,299.

The Lurra E+ EX and Fathom E+ EX

The EX versions of the new bikes are aimed at being more ‘adventure’ oriented. In practice, this could mean anything from riding to work to doing multi-day gravel epics. Both use the same aluminium frame, but are boosted by the SyncDrive Pro 2 motors, which top out at 85Nm torque compared to 75Nm for the Sport 2.

They’re also equipped with an 800Wh battery as standard, so no need to upgrade – although you can add a 250Wh range extender if need be. All bikes, including the E+ models use Giant’s Smart Assist technology – which aims to replicate a more natural riding style by using several sensors to boost your assistance when you need it.

We don't have a price for the E+ EX models just yet, but if/when we do, we'll update this story.

The Liv Lurra E+ and Giant Fathom E+ bikes are set to be available in May from Giant dealers.