Interesting add-on that can convert any bicycle to an electric vehicle. Looks like they already have 3x the target amount of money raised on Kickstarter and getting in the news today will help. Plug it in, regen recharging, app controlled, bluetooth to phone on handlebars....impressive. http://www.flykly.com/
For those interested in an electric bike, there are some good solutions available right now. BionX offers a good quality hub motor similar in function to the Flykly but with a thumb throttle and and an external battery pack. The price is $2Kish. Hub motors like BionX and Flykly have a fixed maximum torque. EcoSpeed makes a powerful electric conversion that runs through a countershaft and allows torque multiplication because the power goes throght the bikes normal gear train. These are available for upright and recumbent bikes. The EcoSpeed setup is $4Kish. I have been riding a BikeE recumbent with an EcoSpeed conversion for about 5 years. There are several advantages to riding electic. While I CAN still ride the 200 yards of 19% grade to my house that ends every ride, even on my pedal only bikes, at age 68 it is less fun every year. I found myself saying "If I pedal to do this or that errand, it will take too long. I'll just take the car." Now I take the bike more often and actually get more exercise. Remember, you can pedal has much and as hard as you want with an E-bike. I can keep up with my little 32 lb. English Cocker who loves to run up that 19% incline at 14mph! Anyone who wants to know more feel free to PM me.
These things are pretty commonplace. Some friends of mine have been driving E-bike conversions for years now.