STORE FINDER
Aventon has spent the last few years building a reputation as one of the most credible e-bike brands in the world. TIME Magazine named them the World's Best E-Bike Brand in 2024, and they made TIME's World's Best Brands list again in 2025. Their bikes have consistently delivered more than their price suggests. Now they've turned their attention to the trail.
The Aventon Current is the brand's first full-suspension electric mountain bike. Electrify NZ stocks the Current ADV at $7,999, which makes it one of the most capable full-power eMTBs you can buy in New Zealand at anywhere near that price.
Here's what it's built with and who it's for.
What kind of bike is the Current?
The Current is a trail eMTB. It runs 150mm of travel up front and 140mm out back on 29" wheels, with geometry suited to mixed-terrain riding: technical climbs, flowing singletrack, roots and rocks. This isn't a city crossover with knobbly tyres. It's a proper mountain bike with a proper motor.
The ADV frame is 6061 aluminium. The geometry is modern without being extreme: a 64.6° head angle (64.3° on the Small), a 76.6° seat angle, 445mm chainstays, and reach that steps up evenly in 25mm increments from Small to XL.
For NZ trail riding, those numbers sit in a sensible place. Most of our trail networks don't demand 170mm enduro geometry. A 64.6° head angle and 140mm of rear travel covers a lot of ground, from Redwoods to Makara, Woodhill to the Port Hills.
The whole bike is rated IPX6, and the motor is rated IP67. Aventon says it will handle water crossings, which matters on a wet NZ winter trail.
The motor
Aventon developed their own mid-drive system for the Current: the Ultro X. It produces 110Nm of torque in its standard modes and 120Nm in Boost, with up to 400% rider assistance (500% in Boost). That puts it firmly in full-power territory, alongside the strongest motors on the market.
Boost mode is designed for short, hard efforts. It gives you the full 120Nm in 30-second bursts, which is exactly what you want on the steep pinch that would otherwise have you off and pushing.
It's a torque-sensor system, so power responds to how hard you're actually pushing on the pedals rather than just how fast your legs are turning. Through the Aventon app, Ride Tune lets you adjust how each assist mode behaves: how much power it gives, how quickly it responds, and how long the motor carries on after you stop pedalling (Overrun). There's also an Auto mode that adjusts assistance for you.
That tuning matters. Reviewers found the default settings can feel sharp on undulating technical climbs where your cadence keeps changing, and that a few minutes adjusting sensitivity in the app made a noticeable difference. Our advice: spend your first couple of rides dialling it in.
The battery
The Current ADV runs an 800Wh battery. That's a big pack for a bike at this price. Plenty of eMTBs in the $7,000 to $10,000 range in NZ run smaller batteries.
The battery is removable, so you can take it inside to charge. A full charge from empty takes around six hours with the included 4A charger.
Aventon's claimed range of up to 169km is based on a 75kg rider on flat, paved road in Eco mode. Treat that as a best case. Trail riding with real climbing uses far more energy. In independent testing on the EXP version, which shares the same motor and battery, Electric Bike Review got around 50km with over 900m of climbing in high-power modes. Pinkbike got around 34km with over 1,100m of climbing using most of the battery in the most powerful mode.
For a typical NZ trail session of 25 to 35km with a few hundred metres of climbing, you should get through a full ride on a single charge in most modes.
The components
The Current ADV comes with:
- Fork: RockShox Psylo Gold, 150mm, 44mm offset
- Rear shock: RockShox Deluxe Select+, 210x55mm
- Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission, 12-speed, 10-52T cassette, 34T chainring
- Cranks: 160mm alloy
- Brakes: SRAM DB8 Stealth four-piston hydraulic disc, 200mm rotors front and rear
- Wheels: 29" double-wall alloy, tubeless compatible
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.5" (front), Maxxis Minion DHR II 29x2.4" (rear), EXO casing, tubeless ready
- Dropper post: X-Fusion Manic, 150mm (S/M) or 170mm (L/XL)
- Bars: 780mm (S/M) or 800mm (L/XL), 35mm clamp
- Pedals: Alloy platforms included
SRAM's Transmission drivetrain mounts directly to the frame rather than hanging off a derailleur hanger, which makes it tougher in rocky terrain than a conventional setup.
The Maxxis Minion tread pattern is the right choice for this bike. The EXO casing is on the lighter side, and most reviewers recommend a heavier casing if you ride sharp, rocky terrain. For typical NZ club trail riding, EXO does the job. If you're planning to push the bike hard on rowdier trails, budget for a tyre upgrade.
The Current is also built around standard parts, including boost wheel spacing and a ZS56 headset, so upgrading forks, shocks or wheels later is straightforward. Aventon approves forks from 140mm to 160mm.
The tech
This is where the Current really stands apart.
Every Current has a customisable touchscreen display built into the top tube, paired with a wireless mode remote on the bars. No clutter, no tangle of cables in the cockpit.
Behind that display is Aventon's connected platform:
4G connectivity and GPS tracking. If the bike is stolen, you can locate it. There's also an integrated alarm with motion alerts and a remote shutdown feature through the app.
Over-the-air updates mean Aventon can push improvements to the motor and software without a trip to the shop.
Ride features include Wheel Lift Control, which helps keep the front wheel planted on steep climbs, and Air Time tracking, which records your jumps. The app also connects to Apple Watch.
Very few eMTBs at this price come with this much connected tech as standard.
What the reviewers said
The Current launched in March 2026 and has since been tested by most of the major international mountain bike and e-bike media.
The Loam Wolf, one of the most respected eMTB testing outlets in the world, put the Current through its 2026 eMTB Shootout alongside 14 other bikes. It surprised most of their test crew. They found the Ultro X competitive on power against every other motor in the test, with plenty of controllable grunt for sustained climbs. The suspension gave a solid pedalling platform while staying supple enough to find traction on steep, loose climbs, and the testers described the whole bike as comfortable and capable on the trail. Climbing noise wasn't an issue for anyone, and they found the tuning available in the app made a real difference to how the motor behaved.
One of their testers ranked the Current in his top five bikes of the entire shootout, regardless of price. Their verdict: unless you're a pro-level rider hammering steep, chunky terrain every day, the Current is likely to be a solid option, and if you are that rider, the money you save leaves room for suspension upgrades.
BIKE Magazine called it potentially the best budget eMTB of 2026, saying it rides as well as, if not better than, bikes three to four times the price. Electric Bike Review scored it 92/100. Pinkbike said Aventon had squarely hit the target with a bike that costs half as much as some of its competitors.
Who is this bike for?
If you're already on an e-bike and you've been thinking about getting on the trails, the Current is one of the most credible ways into eMTB riding at this price in New Zealand. Up to 120Nm, an 800Wh battery and proper trail geometry for $7,999 is a combination that's hard to match.
If you're a mountain biker who's been curious about going electric but couldn't justify what the established brands charge for a full-power eMTB, the Current removes the main objection. You get a genuinely strong motor in a frame that handles real mountain biking.
If you want the most aggressive rig for the rowdiest terrain and you're willing to pay for it, longer-travel enduro eMTBs are a different purchase at a different price.
For everyone else, the Current is a serious bike.
Aventon Current ADV specs at a glance
| Motor | Aventon Ultro X mid-drive, 110Nm (120Nm Boost) |
| Battery | 800Wh, removable |
| Rear travel | 140mm |
| Fork | RockShox Psylo Gold, 150mm |
| Rear shock | RockShox Deluxe Select+ |
| Drivetrain | SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission, 12-speed, 10-52T |
| Brakes | SRAM DB8 Stealth four-piston hydraulic disc, 200mm |
| Tyres | Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR II 29", tubeless ready |
| Display | Integrated top-tube touchscreen |
| Connectivity | 4G, GPS, alarm, OTA updates, app, Apple Watch |
| Dropper post | X-Fusion Manic, 150-170mm |
| Frame | 6061 aluminium |
| Wheel size | 29" |
| Weight | 25.4kg |
| Sizes | S, M, L, XL |
| Water resistance | Bike IPX6, motor IP67 |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame (with registration), 2 years components |
| NZ price | $7,999 |
Want to know more about fit, spec or how the Current compares with other eMTBs? Talk to the team at any of our eight Electrify NZ stores around the country.
