Austrian bicycle design studio Vello claims to have created the first bike to combine electric, self-charging and folding features.

The Vello Bike+ charges as it travels by converting kinetic energy generated by the rider into electricity, which can then be used to help cyclists uphill.

Vello launched the bicycle last month on Kickstarter, where it has reached 200 per cent of its funding target.

"I wanted to create the best-ever electric folding bike with groundbreaking new technology," said Vello designer Valentin Vodev, who founded the company in 2013 with Valerie Wolff.

In 2014 the pair successfully used Kickstarter to launch their first Vello folding bike.

Vello Bike+ harvests power from the rider's braking and pedalling, using it to recharge a lithium-ion battery.

Vello claims a fully charged battery provides constant pedalling assistance lasting around 20 miles (32 kilometres). The bicycle can also be plugged into power sockets to charge.

An accompanying app lets cyclists control pedal support and lock their bike remotely. The bike weighs less than 12 kilograms, and uses a magnetic locking system to fold into halves for transportation.

"It's the first self-charging electric folding bike on the market, plus lighter and more compact than any other folding bike on the market," added Vodev.

"A self-locking magnet allows hands-free folding, which makes it very different from a typical folding bike with complicated hinges to open."

London startup the Hummingbird Bike Company has also targeted the folding bike market, with a carbon fibre cycle that weighs 6.5 kilograms.

The Kickstarter-funded Gi FlyBike features a similarly quick-folding mechanism.

At the time of writing, Vello Bike+ had raised €173,000 on Kickstarter, exceeding its original goal of €80,000. Its campaign has 20 days to go.