There's a song in the 2008 wildlife documentary Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa - so cruelly overlooked by the Oscars committee - that goes something like, “I like ‘em big, I like ‘em chunky”, and upon setting eyes on the Ecomove Bird M we have to say that yes, Will.i.am, we do too.

It’s certainly got a distinctive look. “That’s not a bike,” came one comment as we wheeled it out of the ebiketips high-security storage centre, across the moat and through the flocks of trained attack geese that guard the compound and mysteriously disappear around Christmas, “that’s a moped.”

Well no, legally it’s not, and despite its appearance (and performance) this cruiser is completely road usable in the UK. You can tell this from the way the motor cuts out as you approach 16mph, leaving you to pedal wildly in your pursuit of the elusive 20.

The defining concept of its design seems to be strength and broadness. The frame is rubenesque and filled with internally routed cables and a big 720Wh battery for a claimed 45-mile range we have no reason to dispute (an upgraded 960Wh battery which adds another 15 miles can be specified). The tyres are positively voluptuous, though smaller in diameter than something like the Rad Rhino Plus.

Built for comfort, yes, but for speed too? The mid-mounted (and tweaked for the bike’s needs) Bafang M510 motor certainly provides plenty of grunt (a non-road legal 500W version is also available, as are upgraded bobbly tyres and a front basket) and when riding it any suspicion of sluggishness you may have slips slickly away. It just doesn’t feel like a heavy bike when you’re in the saddle, it turns well, and the small but fat wheels eat up the ground no matter what state the surface is in.

Get onto it from a standing start with the motor on its top setting, and it lunges forward like Kate Moss going for her 13th Diet Coke of the day. On the flat, you’ll rarely want to be higher than level one on the power display, and a lower 0.5 setting might be useful for anyone looking for a happy medium between near-effortless pedalling and riding with the motor off.

The gearing, meanwhile, is kept simple, with seven to choose from - though we found ourselves wishing for a smaller eighth sprocket (or a larger ring at the front to chonk up to) when riding near the assistance limit. The Bird M seems to be configured for smooth skimming along at around 12mph or so, perhaps with a cargo cart or toddler carriage in tow. On the hills, meanwhile, you simply turn up the assistance, and once you get to level five and the easiest gearing you’re able to take most things in your stride.

It’s odd to be complaining that an e-bike is too powerful and easy to ride. The truth is that while the bike may not be for everyone based on its styling (there’s no way it’s going on many car carriers, for example, due to its lack of crossbar and enormously wide tyres, and we also wouldn’t want to have to carry it upstairs) you have to look quite hard for its faults.

So: the handlebar grips could be softer, as they offer a slightly abrasive experience for those not wearing gloves, especially if you’re a delicate indoor office worker by trade. The gear mechanism is jerky and noisy, and the front mudguard is so close to the tyre that it’s possible, after a nudge, for it to appear as if you’ve added a playing card or bit of stiff board to flick against the spokes to make your bike sound like a motorbike. The rear suspension is a bit soft and bouncy, even at its firmest setting (we turned the front fork shocks off, but the rear spring is controlled with a red dial that goes from soft to firm but not ‘off’). However, as our test rider was pushing the boundaries of the bike’s recommended rider weight, this might not be an issue for the svelter cyclist. Finally, the front light reminds us of Wall-E. That last one’s not a complaint, merely an observation.

Another excellent choice by Ecomove is found up on the BMX-style handlebars: the screen. It’s sharp and bright, a world away from the low-res LCD screens you often see, with a simple interface and a clear way of conveying information. Battery life is expressed as a percentage rather than a four-blob meter, and there are two simple buttons for raising and lowering the power assist level and navigating its menus. It feels like a step up in class from many we’ve used. It takes a few moments of holding down a button to switch it on, however, and if you take your thumb off at the wrong point it will shut back down again. Still, it says ‘welcome’ every time - which is nice.

The Bird M may at first seem a little high in price - even before you start adding extras - but then it's a mid-motor bike with a sizeable battery and full suspension.

It is in fact hard to think of direct rivals to compare to. You'll find no shortage of folding fat tyre e-bikes, but these are typically far cheaper, hub motor affairs. In terms of mid-motor options, the Yamaha Booster Easy has a similar shape, albeit with an amazing lightweight cutaway frame, but that comes in at £2,900 with a slightly smaller battery and only front suspension. The Benno RemiDemi offers more e-cargo bike practicality, but costs over £3,000 even with a 400Wh battery.

Ecomove is a company from Bristol that’s big on two-wheeled electric transport and partners with a tree-planting organisation too. There is an awful lot to like about both it and this electric cruiser, which despite its unconventional moped-like looks, turns out to be a smooth and easy ride.

eco-move.co.uk