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The Johammer J1's engine – a fully electric one – could already be called revolutionary. But the Austrian company that built it hasn’t tried to squeeze this e-bike into a regular motorcycle shape – they've created a rather outrageous, indeed revolutionary, exterior for it.

Johann Hammerschmid, founder of Johammer e-mobility, calls it "a natural return to the concept of the horse, before there was noise and pollution from engines."

It is the very first electric bike to offer a range in excess of 300km on a single charge. This in itself is a huge advance, but a forthcoming version of the J1 may be even more of a game-changer.

This idea is that the bike will double as an electricity storage unit for home solar panels – not unlike the Tesla Powerwall.

In terms of performance, the Johammer might not match its petrol-driven rivals, but it’s still impressive. It is limited to about 75 miles per hour (120km/h) in order to minimise wind resistance, which at higher speeds increases energy consumption.

There are many unique pieces of engineering and technology on the J1, not least of which is the fact that the bike turns from the centre. It’s also bereft of a dashboard, delivering data to the rider via screens on the wing mirrors.

Take up of the Johammer J1 is steady to say the least: around 60 of the bikes are being used across Europe right now. But the bike could be a game-changer.

At present, two j1 models are available. The top-end model is called the j1.200 and retails for 25,000 euros, and can cover 186 miles in the city on a single charge' 125 miles on rough terrain – ranges that beat many petrol engines on a single tank of fuel.