The Electric Bike
Make way for the latest craze from Europe, the electric bike. As cultural icons go, it's day may have arrived. With rising gas prices and a scarcity of loans, let alone a general malaise when it comes to purchasing a new car, the electric scooter just may be the thing.Like it's near relative, the motorized scooter, both have seen sharp rises in sales due mainly to China's cornering the market on manufacture and sales. Prices are typically one-half that of traditional European and Japanese models (Vandore, 2008). Unlike the smoke belching gasoline powered scooter, the electric model can catch the "green" bandwagon and tout itself as eco friendly. It will be interesting to see the scooter take over as America's most popular form of transportation. Still competing for road space with semi tractor trailers and tour buses, we may actually see an end of car pooling lanes and park and ride lots, as well as many gas stations. Take that OPEC!
Make way for the latest craze from Europe, the electric bike. As cultural icons go, it's day may have arrived. With rising gas prices and a scarcity of loans, let alone a general malaise when it comes to purchasing a new car, the electric scooter just may be the thing.Like it's near relative, the motorized scooter, both have seen sharp rises in sales due mainly to China's cornering the market on manufacture and sales. Prices are typically one-half that of traditional European and Japanese models (Vandore, 2008). Unlike the smoke belching gasoline powered scooter, the electric model can catch the "green" bandwagon and tout itself as eco friendly. It will be interesting to see the scooter take over as America's most popular form of transportation. Still competing for road space with semi tractor trailers and tour buses, we may actually see an end of car pooling lanes and park and ride lots, as well as many gas stations. Take that OPEC!
But wait, what's that on the horizon? Oh yes, winter is coming, or is it just a good old fashioned midwestern thunderstorm? Oh well, back to the garage and dust off the old SUV. There's nothing like good old Detroit iron to get you to your destination.
References
Vandore, E. (2008). Europe's latest craze: electric bikes. Retrieved January 12, 2009, from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20080815/ap_tr_ge/travel_dispatches_electric_bikes_test_drive
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