I picked up an Elite 2 last week, and today I did a range test. The battery had not yet gone through the first cycles which are said to maximise its performance, but I did the ride with the battery fully charged.
Here are the stats for the ride, according to the Giant App:
Distance: 74.5km (46.3 miles)
Climb: 1,643m (5,390 ft)
Battery remaining at end: 25%
Please note that the Giant app seems to exaggerate a bit the figures. I was running a parallel app (Komoot), which showed a distance of 60.7km (37.7 miles) and a climb of 1,430m (4,700ft). Both the Giant and Komoot app relied on my phone for information, so maybe the sensitivity to small changes in course and height explains the difference. Normally GPS devices underestimate distance (because they cut the corners) and the climb measurements are subject to changes during the ride in barometric pressure.
Let's say a distance of 65km (around 40 miles) and a climb of 1,550m (around 5,100 ft). 75% usage of a 400W battery.
The use of a battery depends on a lot of factors, including riding style. This was a range, not a speed test, so I used the lowest pedal-assist setting for nearly all climbs and aimed to minimise the use of the battery. On flat (or close to flat), and on downhill of course, I used no pedal assist. This ride used a lot of energy and leg power from me. Also, I was riding mainly on fire trails, so I did not have to contend often with difficult surfaces, roots or rocks, which require more power.
The hard facts are:
I weigh around 72kg (say 160 pounds) , but after I had loaded myself up with gear I clocked close to 83kg (a little over 180 lb).
The ambient temperature during the ride was around 30˚c (say 85˚F).
I have re-programmed the SyncDrive motor settings to the following:
Eco: 50% assistance; 20NM torque; level 2 launch
Tour: 100% assistance; 30NM torque; level 3 launch
Active: 150% assistance; 40NM torque; level 4 launch
Sport: 250% assistance; 60NM torque; level 6 launch
Power: 400% assistance; 85NM torque; level 7 launch
(As you can see, I have programmed the lower settings for minimal assistance, aiming for maximum range.)
I have no experience of e-bike riding, so I rode like a normal MTB rider, and my first reaction to a harder climb was to use a lower gear (not e-power). I didn't switch on e-assistance until I was already using a large ring on the cassette. My goal was range, not speed. When I did use e-assistance, it was nearly always Eco mode (just 50% assistance, and 20NM, in my case). I only moved to a higher mode when it was a steep climb on difficult terrain. I never used Power mode on this ride, and I used Sport mode only for a few minutes in total.
In conclusion, the 400W battery has a pretty good range (and this was a 6+ hour ride, including some pauses, and a hike-a-bike section when I had to haul the bike over fallen trees etc), but the battery is not adequate for a longish ride if one wants the motor to do most of the work. I'll be getting a range extender to allow me to do longer rides at higher speed, and I'll only use the 850NM power for short, fun rides, or in particularly gnarly situations.
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