Electric assist bike sales gearing up for a big 2009

(Emma Vandore rides her electric bike in the streets of paris. Source Shanghaidaily)

Here's some interesting numbers on the international side of electric bikes. This story from Shanghai Daily shows huge growth in the e-bike market in the coming year... mostly for Europe, but there's even mention of market growth in the USA up from 10,000 units to possibly over 100,000 units. Here's a bit from the news article.

More than 10,000 electric bikes were sold in France last year, up from 6,000 in 2006, according to the Conseil National des Professions du Cycle, an association of bike professionals.

Elsewhere in Europe, sales of power-assisted bikes in Germany this year are expected to double the 60,000 sold in 2007, while in the Netherlands, sales of electric bikes increased from 45,000 in 2006 to 89,000 last year. Sales there are estimated to reach 121,000 this year.

The figures in the Netherlands compare with 10,000 units sold in the vastly larger United States in 2007, up from 6,000 in 2006, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association. However, other sources say sales figures are had to come by and the total US sales could be well over 100,000.

Advances in technology - which has led to lighter batteries capable of running for 40 to 80 kilometers - means electric bikes are competing with scooters and motorbikes.

Electric bikes cost almost nothing to run or maintain and for the daredevil rider offer additional benefits: no helmet, no registration, and no license.

Jean-Paul Massot, a 30-year-old teacher who commutes 8 kilometers to work each day in Paris, says he's willing to pay up to 1,500 euros (US$2,200) for an electric bike - an amount which could get him a gasoline-powered scooter.

"But I don't want to pay for gasoline," he said. "And scooters are polluting and noisy."

Hear THAT ScooterScoop? Polluty and noisy! ;)

Sexy electric bikes finally coming to America - Ultra Motor A2B

(She's even sexier with the saddle batteries mounted on the back)
The newest e-ped (electric motor / pedal hybrid) from Ultra Motor (UK) is on the horizon. The A2B is ready for the US market and should hit dealers in just a couple of weeks.

No driver’s license necessary, just charge the A2B, unplug it, turn the throttle and enjoy the ride. The A2B can travel at speeds up to 20 miles per hour, without pedaling. Or, if riders feel like some exercise, they can use the pedals to increase their speed and distance. The A2B travels 20 miles on a single charge and riders can use a secondary battery to travel up to 40 miles without re-charging. w00t!

For commuters and “short trippers,” the A2B is designed to carry the goods – computers, groceries, flowers or gear. Baskets and side bags are available separately for purchase.

Ultra Motor is a leading force in the innovation of personal mobility. With state-of-the-art technology manufactured in Taiwan and a design team in Germany, Ultra Motor is paving the way with emissions-free smart transport solutions for the global urban market. The company’s global headquarters are in London, and its US operation is based in San Francisco, California.

For more information or to find out where to buy yours go to www.ultramotor.com/usa

Oh! One more interesting fact from their press release:

Increasing challenges are making urban transportation more costly and time-consuming: the Texas Transportation Institute reports that gridlock costs the average peak period traveler almost 40 hours a year in travel delay and wastes an annual 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline, which has climbed to more than $4.00 a gallon. In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports that nearly half of all trips are less than three miles. The A2B is a clean, gasoline-free transportation alternative for the thousands of short trips Americans take every day.

Amazing!