The surging cost of gasoline and, for many, a desire for a greener commute is turning some to less conventional forms of transportation, like the electric bike. -- PHOTO: ST AUTO
NEW YORK - WHEN Honora Wolfe moved with her husband to the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado, five years ago, she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city.
Ms Wolfe, 60, found her solution about a month ago: an electric bicycle. It gets her to work quickly, she said, is easy on her arthritis and is better for the environment than a car.
'I'm not out to win any races,' she said. 'I want to get a little fresh air and exercise, and cut my carbon footprint, and spend less money on gas. And where I live, I can ride my bike seven months out of the year.'
The surging cost of gasoline and, for many, a desire for a greener commute is turning some to less conventional forms of transportation, like the electric bike.
They function like a conventional two-wheeler, but with a battery-powered assist, and bike dealers, riders and experts say they are flying off the racks across the US.
Overall sales figures are hard to pin down, but they point to increased interest. Mr Frank Jamerson, a former General Motors Corp executive turned electric vehicle guru, estimates US electric bike sales to top 170,000 this year, compared with 120,000 in 2007.
The Gluskin-Townley Group, which does market research for the National Bicycle Dealers Association, offers the more conservative estimate of 10,000 units sold in the US in 2007, up from 6,000 in 2006.
Dealers and distributors say they are seeing more business. Mr Bert Cebular, who owns the New York-based electric bike and scooter dealership NYCeWheels, estimates his sales are up 50 per cent so far this year over last. Amazon.com said sales of electric bikes surged more than 6,000 percent in July compared to last year, and has expanded its offerings in response.
Bike dealers said the growing demand is fueled both by the uptick in gas prices and word of mouth about the electric bike's new popularity.
As for Wolfe, she could not be happier with her bike, a 48-pound mountain bike with a lithium-ion-powered assist manufactured by California-based IZIP. A self-described 'tree-hugger for decades,' when she's not using her bike to get to work, Wolfe either drives her hybrid car or rides the bus.
She also powers her home with help from a set of rooftop solar panels, and a geothermal furnace heats and cools it.
'Even my 92-year-old mother has a Prius,' she said. 'So I come by my green credentials genetically.' -- AP
