One of the world’s biggest bicycle brands has launched what it claims is an entirely new category of eBike: a speed-focused, high-tech urban bike that just happens to have an electric motor.
The Specialized Turbo boasts beautifully-clean lines and a frame unencumbered by clunky-looking batteries or unsightly cables, but it is not quite as ground breaking as the company might claim; its top speed of 45kph, whilst fast and more than enough to keep up with most urban traffic, has been bettered by other ebikes More interesting than its design and performance is the decision by a big player like Specialized to move into this area of the market.
High-performance ebikes offer a fascinating new mode of transport that is faster than a bicycle but greener and cleaner than a moped. Like a push bike, an ebike can be carried inside any building for storage. Unlike a scooter, it makes no noise.
Many cycling organisations lobby against regulations that might blur the line between push bikes and ebikes, but the vehicles may yet provide a cleaner and more practical alternative to the affordable electric cars we are so often promised.
| Ebikes | Threat to bicycles or ultimate urban transport? |
|---|---|
| The Specialized Turbo – illegal on the road, but available to test at Specialized dealers in Europe soon | |
| Leonardo Di Caprio, who has owned more than one electric car, was recently snapped in New York riding a stylish Stromer elelctric mountain bike – a machine with an impressive 600w of power. Electric-assist bicycles in Britain are restricted to 250w. |  |
| Stealth Fighter: It’s not legal on British roads, it costs £3,000 and you have to order it from Switzerland, but the Stealth Fighter must be a strong contender for title of world’s ultimate off-road e-bike. Power: 2kW. Top speed: 40mph
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| It’s as iconic an image of traditional France as the beret or baguette, but the ‘Velo Solex’ has had a dramatic makeover at the hands of Pininfarina, the designers best known for designing Italian supercars including Ferraris. Pininfarina’s design project may be relatively humble, but it is far more affordable than any supercar – the e-solex is a budget electric scooter that costs less than £1000. Power: 400w. Speed: 21mph.
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