Giant has released two all-new electric road bike ranges – the Defy Advanced E+ Elite and the Liv Avail E+ Elite.

As the names indicate, both are based on two of the brand’s best-selling performance road bike models, the Defy and the Avail. By borrowing a few features and integrating them with motorized pedal support, Giant claims riders will enjoy “all the thrills or traditional road riding but with the power to ride farther and faster”.

According to the brand, it’s all about “seamless power”, helping to deliver a ride quality that’s not so different from a regular road bike. It says this means when starting from a static position the power is increased gradually to avoid the surge often associated with riding an e-bike. Similarly, If you stop pedaling and start to freewheel, the support is also reduced gradually, so it doesn’t feel like it’s dragging or that the power has just simply cut out.

The SyncDrive motor delivers 30 Nm of torque, which Giant says equates to about 75 Nm in a mid-drive motor. There are five levels of support, plus an automatic option. Here sensors in the motor adjust the output based on “advanced algorithms.” The Power mode is particularly interesting. If you’re pedaling hard but riding at a slow speed you’ll get an automatic boost to help you up that hill or to combat a nasty headwind.

Every motor needs a battery and the SyncDrive is supported by Panasonic’s Energypak 400. As you might guess it’s a 400Wh battery. Integrated into the frame’s down tube it weighs less than a kilogram; combined the motor and battery have a claimed weight of 2.3kg or 5 lbs. Charging is via a discrete port and there’s also the option of a 200Wh range extender. Giant says this could mean up to 93 miles, with “optimized battery usage”.