2008-08-18
Electric Bikes All the Rage. By Dan Strumpf, AP, August 16, 2008. "The surging cost of gasoline and a desire for a greener commute are turning more people to electric bikes as an unconventional form of transportation. They function like a typical two-wheeler but with a battery-powered assist, and bike dealers, riders and experts say they are flying off the racks… Bert Cebular, who owns the electric bike and scooter dealership NYCeWheels in New York, said his sales are up about 50% so far this year over last. Amazon.com's… surged more than 6,000% in July from a year earlier… [Electric bikes] combine… old-fashioned pedaling with a battery-powered motor. The net result is a vehicle that rides a bit like a scooter, with some legwork required… A few hundred dollars gets you an IZIP mountain bike from Amazon with a heavy lead-acid battery. For $1,400, you can buy a 250-watt folding bike powered by a more-powerful, longer-lasting nickel-metal hydride battery like those in a camera or a Toyota Prius. At the high end, $2,525 buys an extra-light 350-watt model sporting a lightweight lithium-ion battery similar to a laptop's. Most models can go at least 20 miles before plugging in to recharge."
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