Hummingbird: ‘The world’s lightest – and possibly sexiest – folding electric bike’ | Martin Love

Taking inspiration from the top flight of motorsport, the Hummingbird e-bike is ready to take off (just don't leave it unlocked anywhere)

Hummingbird electric folding bike
Price 4,495, hummingbirdbike.com
Frame carbon
Weight 10.3kg
Range 30km
Recharge 2 hours

After decades of ponderous milk floats, feeble golf buggies and those annoying squeaky-wheeled airport terminal transporters, electric vehicles have slowly transformed themselves into lean, clean driving machines. Now, at last, a similar metamorphosis is happening in the world of electric bikes. Just a few years ago, clambering on to an e-bike gave you the same sinking feeling you'd get from pulling on a pair of lead-lined wellies. They were heavy, unresponsive and ugly - a little like the grizzled veteran front row of my local rugby club. The batteries were as large as lunchboxes and were haphazardly bolted on to the frame almost as an afterthought. You had to recharge them every time you went round the block.