While Specialized has had electric bikes in its family for a while, encompassing road, gravel, MTB, and commuter/urban models, there has been a cargo-shaped void in the range, in the UK and Europe at least. While North America has had the Haul ST and Haul LT models to make use of for some time now, the UK and Europe are finally joining the cargo party with the new Turbo Porto.
The form is similar to the Haul LT, insofar as it’s a long-tail cargo bike, but the Turbo Porto has electrics setup for the European market, and larger wheels too. With more families opting to go car-lite or even car-free, what can one of the biggest names in the bike business bring to a segment of the market dominated by companies whose sole focus is urban mobility?
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Tech specs
The heart of any haulin’ focussed electric bike is of course going to be the motor and battery. Specialized claims the Turbo Porto is the most powerful bike in its class on the market, offering 90 Nm of torque, and a 710 Wh battery. In real terms this translates to up to five hours of ride time, the battery is removable for ease of charging, and locks to the bike frame to help avoid theft.
All this power is necessary, given a maximum system weight of 200kg, with the front and rear racks having a maximum capacity of 20kg and 60kg respectively. The bike itself, unladen, weighs in at 39.6kg, and is 2.065m long. While it looks long, the fact that it uses smaller than normal wheels means it is shorter than the brand’s Turbo Levo electric MTB by approximately 10cm.
Internal gearing takes care of the shifting, away from the elements, and it’s belt driven too, so no messy chain lube to worry about. There are integrated front and rear lights, a built-in Garmin Varia radar system, and to bolster the battery lock, there is also a steering lock and motor lock, so when the bike is secure not only would would-be thieves be unable to pinch the battery, but they would also be unable to steer or use the motor too.
In terms of fit, the Turbo Porto is adjustable to fit riders from 155cm up to 195cm, and given the heft of the thing a kickstand is also a valuable and necessary inclusion.
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