A cargo bike had been the missing piece in Specialized’s product portfolio. The introduction of the new Porto longtail cargo ebike is ready to fill that gap and complete the Specialized range. During our visit to the Specialized Turbo Unit in the Swiss town of Cham, we had the opportunity to test their latest addition and find out why this cargo ebike is so important to the brand.

Nobody refuses an invitation to Specialized’s hallowed halls, the Turbo development centre in Cham, Switzerland. After each meeting, you’re a fair bit more knowledgeable and you get a sneak preview of the upcoming products. Last year, our E-MOUNTAINBIKE crew visited the centre to see what was cooking in the sports sector. This time Specialized’s Product and Category Managers – Dominik, Mattia, Vincent, Christoph and Stephan – took the time to show the DOWNTOWN team every angle of the new Porto cargo ebike.

Specialized Porto | Specialized 2.2 Cargo/710 Wh
from 39.9 kg in One Size |starting from € 6,500 | Manufacturer’s website

From a commercial point of view, the cargo bike segment is of secondary importance to Specialized. The expected sales figures are not particularly promising compared to models such as the Turbo Levo. From a strategic point of view, however, the cargo bike market is crucial for the Turbo Unit in Switzerland: Specialized want to be the brand of choice for all bikers.

After a long period of development, the Specialized Porto finally sees the light of day. It is the missing piece in the Specialized mosaic, the final element to fulfil the last remaining dream of die-hard bike fans.

Read the full review on DOWNTOWN-Mag.com


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Words: Rudolf Fischer Photos: Robin Schmitt

About the author

Rudolf Fischer

In his previous life Rudolf was a dab hand at promoting innovation, putting his brain behind big-ticket patent assessments that easily ran into six-or-seven-plus figures. These days, the self-confessed data nerd’s role as editor at DOWNTOWN and E-MOUNTAINBIKE is no less exciting. Given his specialism in connectivity, Rudolf’s often placed on the front line of future mobility conversations, but he’s also big into testing new bikes–both on the daily as a committed commuter and intensively for our group tests. The business economist graduate is as versatile as a Swiss penknife, and that’s no hyperbole. Away from two wheels, his background in parkour means he’s a master of front, side and backflips, plus he speaks German, English, French, Russian and a touch of Esperanto. Japanese remains woefully unmastered, despite his best home-learning attempts. Good to know: Rudolf’s sharp tongue has made him a figure of fear in the office, where he’s got a reputation for flexing a dry wittiness à la Ricky Gervais... interestingly, he's usually the one laughing hardest.