Fuel EXe 2025

The Trek Fuel EXe 2025 is the brand's lightweight trail eMTB, a carbon 4-bar chassis built around the TQ HPR50 motor system. Headline numbers: 150 mm fork, 140 mm rear travel, TQ HPR50 at 50 Nm and 300 W peak (1.85 kg, one of the lightest credible bike motors anywhere), 360 Wh removable TQ HPR50 360 battery, 64.5 to 64.8 degree head angle (size-specific), reach 428 to 530 mm across five sizes, 19.61 kg claimed weight and £4,500 base price with £3,195 entry on the 9.7 trim and £11,000 for the 9.9 XX AXS. The community verdict from @CrashMaster, who rides a Fuel EXe alongside his partner's Orbea Rise M10, is "I really like the power delivery of the Fuel, it is very natural and engages and disengages very smoothly", while @The Reverend calls it "supremely strong and fit" climbing in low/eco.

Drive system and range. The TQ HPR50 is the German motor's defining product: 50 Nm, 300 W peak, 1.85 kg, and famously near-silent under load. The 360 Wh battery is removable, and the platform supports a TQ Range Extender for additional capacity. @Bullit reports the factory settings (Eco 100 W, Trail 200 W, Turbo 300 W) achieve roughly 26 km range and 900 m elevation gain with consistent riding style. @MamboN5's 500 Wh aftermarket battery project documents Molicel M35A cells in the stock pack, with rider-led aftermarket capacity upgrades possible. The TQ motor's silence is the headline differentiator: @Rob Rides EMTB's TQ comms confirm the "very low assist sprag clutch peculiarity" has no performance impact.

Geometry and handling. Trek's headline is its 5-size run with the unusual 23" XL frame at 530 mm reach and 452 mm chainstay, a 12 mm jump in rear-centre versus the standard 440 mm fitted across 15.5" to 21.5". Head angles range 64.5 to 64.8 degrees and wheelbase scales 1188 to 1330 mm. The 23" at 1330 mm wheelbase is properly long, catering for taller riders that most rivals miss. @Emailsucks98 at 175 cm sized up to L with a mullet rear wheel and shorter stem, suggesting the platform takes sizing-up well.

Build and value. Three trims. The £3,195 9.7 is the entry value pick at 19.1 kg with a basic build. The £4,500 base is the volume model at 19.61 kg. The £11,000 9.9 XX AXS is the flagship at 18.9 kg with SRAM XX Eagle AXS T-Type. Standout choice is the consistency of the 19 kg-class weight across the range. Questionable point flagged by @vapeuz: a "2025 model purchased but contained 2023 components", an inventory-mismatch story worth confirming at delivery.

Community-verified strengths. First, motor refinement: @CrashMaster rates the Fuel EXe's power delivery as more natural than the EP8 RS on the Rise sibling. Second, the platform supports significant rider modification: @shure2 documents the eXTenderMod adapter for Ego 2.5 Ah aftermarket batteries giving 34 to 38% extra range. Third, the multi-purpose chassis: @Stihldog documents 5 to 6 minute wheel swaps between 2.5" Assegai mountain trails set and a pavement set, making the bike a genuine dual-purpose tool.

Caveats and known gripes. Reliability has a flag: @Jujujuice's 9.8 XT had a speed sensor failure within 30 days, with the LBS replacement not curing the issue on his bike but the same sensor working on a different Fuel EXe, "suggesting inherent bike-level fault". The 360 Wh native battery is small by 2025 standards. The platform was originally launched at the 50 Nm/300 W spec which now sits below the emerging TQ HPR60 (Norco Sight VLT TQ, Trek Fuel+ TQ) by 10 Nm and 50 W peak. The motor's "very low assist sprag clutch peculiarity" produces a slight clicking under low-power riding per @Rob Rides EMTB.

Verdict. The Fuel EXe is in current production and remains one of the most refined lightweight TQ HPR50 trail eMTBs on the market. Buy it if you want a near-silent, sub-20 kg trail eMTB with proper Trek build quality, the 5-size run including a genuinely long 23" XL, and the TQ aftermarket ecosystem including range extenders and 500 Wh community projects. Look elsewhere if you want the newer TQ HPR60 (60 Nm), full-power 85 Nm-plus, or a 600 Wh-plus battery as standard.