The latest competitor in Europe's e-bike sector looks cool, but in a mean, angular way. And the design matches the price tag: £3,660.

Made of carbon-fibre and serious gadgetry, the Visiobike looks as if Batman decided to fight crime on low emissions. Its makers are billing it as a 'high-tech electric bicycle' and it certainly comes with a range of bells and whistles (but disappointingly it lacks an actual bell). The bike is controlled via a handlebar-mounted smartphone, giving riders the chance to stuff yet another aspect of their life into an app. While riding you swipe through a series of screens that show your navigation (via Google maps), speed, battery level and most interestingly the view from a rear vision camera set underneath the seat. The litigiously minded bike will also record and save the last three minutes of your ride if it senses a collision.

The operating system is also the main security feature. The bike requires a pin code to unlock the wheels, meaning the only way to steal it is to pick it up and lug it. If the bike senses it is being carried away it will send a message to your phone asking you if you wanted your bike moved. It will then keep you updated on its whereabouts until the police arrive. According to London e-bike dealer Justebikes , security features such as this deter thieves. Most bike theft in the capital is performed by experienced criminals, who know ebikes are more trouble than they are worth.

But it's not all high tech trinkets, there's some serious engineering too. When I get it humming along Regent's Canal and the back streets of King's Cross, the graduated gearing and practically silent 250W motor sense how much help I require and adjust automatically. There is a slight delay before the cavalry arrives, but when it does it makes the riding practically effortless.

The battery lasts between 25 and 62 mile depending on what 'assistance level' you set. Along the canal I leave it at 3 out of 10. It's a noticeable, if subtle difference. When I hit the traffic I use the smartphone control to dial it right up to the maximum, the transition comes with a little jolt and immediately the inner-city speed limit becomes a concern.

This is not a bike for cycling purists. But it's not pitched at the average cyclist. Up to 2m e-bikes were sold in Europe last year, mostly to commuters who want to cycle but still wear cool clothes. The Visiobike is pedal-assisted, rather than self-propelling. This collaboration with the motor gives a real reward-for-effort feeling. There's an ill-conceived ego boost as I shoot beyond the red light clutter without lifting out of the saddle. No one noticed it was an e-bike did they? Just a regular guy on some bike.

The downside is manoeuvrability. The motor is deliberately designed to delay before kicking in; otherwise it would throw the bike out of slow, tight turns. But this leaves you to muscle the 21kg brute alone. I struggle to tell it from a Boris bike as I wrestle it through the canal-side bike locks.

Here is a glimmer of what future cycling will be like, especially the camera and GPS. There are also plans to install a brake light on the next edition – all clever features that will probably be fitted to all bikes one day. But I would question whether this is revolutionary technology to match the revolutionary price tag. At nearly double the price of other commuter e-bikes, or indeed the price of a pretty decent used car, the Visiobike will need to attract people who simply would not have bought a bike unless it has a rear vision camera. This market (cyclists with neck problems perhaps?) may exist but I'll keep looking over my own shoulder.

Visiobike have launched an Indiegogo funding campaign for almost £150,000 to bring the bike to market. The first 20 bikes will be delivered to their backers by August.