eg magazine sustainability, resource efficiency & climate change

A speed-focused, high-tech urban bike with 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.

http://www.eta.co.uk/2012/03/29/specialized-turbo-electric-bicycle