Hybrid electric bikes, how do they work? I'm about to move further away from work, so my 5.5 mile commute is going up to 12 miles (24 there and back).

I'm not interested in using an elecrtic bike because I can't be bothered to pedal.. I want to use an electric bike to speed up my commute to work and back. I estimate that on my racing bike it'll take me approximately 45 mins to get to work.

If I got an electric bike, is it possible to use the motor to assist me rather than do all the work? If so, what sort of time saving do you think is possible? Do they offer much oomph?

I have my eye on one of the giant electric commuter bikes but I don't really know what to look for. I'm not sure yet if there's actually going to be any speed advantage hence I'm asking :)



Update: 3 years later, I never did buy an e-bike. I stuck with my road bike and just powered on through. I can now average 20mph if I feel that way inclined. I'm also the fittest I've ever been so I think all in all e-bikes aren't for the likes of me. I did however buy a new, faster road bike but the real speed comes from stronger legs/mind.

Update 2: I did get an ebike in the end! A cyclotricity 1000w stealth. It saves about 45 minutes as there's no need to have a shower at the end of the ride and it's faster. It's good!
The class of bike you're looking at is called an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle, a brief summary of the law regulating these is available here. In the UK (and Europe):


maximum power is 250w
maximum assisted speed is 25 km/h (15.6 mph)


You don't need insurance, a driving license, Vehicle Excise Duty or a helmet to ride an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle.

It's possible to get electric bikes with more power and / or a higher speed limit. These would be classified as a moped and would need insurance, driving license, etc. You also couldn't ride them in cycle lanes and cycle paths.

Some Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles come with an "off-road" mode which removes the speed limit. The linked article describes the legality of these as "at best, questionable".