Electric Bicycles Becoming Popular
Feb 1, 2010 – J. David Goodman reports on “An Electric Boost for Bicyclists” in The New York Times. Detroit may be introducing electric car designs and China may be pushing forward with a big expansion of its highways and trains. But people by the millions are taking part in a more accidental transportation upheaval. It began in China, where an estimated 120 million electric bicycles now hum along the roads, up from a few thousand in the 1990s. They are replacing traditional bikes and motorcycles at a rapid clip and, in many cases, allowing people to put off the switch to cars. In turn, the booming Chinese electric-bike industry is spurring worldwide interest and impressive sales in India, Europe and the United States. China is exporting many bikes, and Western manufacturers are also copying the Chinese trend to produce models of their own. From virtually nothing a decade ago, electric bikes have become an $11 billion global industry.
Read the full article in The New York Times.
[...] Electric Bicycles Becoming Popular Share and Enjoy: [...]
A good article in contrast to the recent one in the WSJ about safety issues with them in China. China’s E-Bike growth actually demonstrates how safe they can be with a 90% decrease in the rate of fatalities between 2001 and 2007 (34 fatalities and 50,000 e-bikes compared with 2469 to 40 million e-bikes in 2007). Here in the states I know that whenever someone tries one they are hooked!