That may sound obvious, but it’s the primary advantage. A good electric bike effectively flattens hills, increasing your average speed and eliminating the ‘groan’ factor when a gradient comes into view. Provided you supply a reasonable amount of effort, you can expect to climb hills of 1 in 10 (10%) on an electric bike with ease, and clear a maximum gradient of 1 in 7 (14%), or much more. The effect is nothing short of miraculous in hilly country.

It sounds unlikely, doesn’t it? But the mathematics is compelling. Think of a steep and busy road, with cars climbing at 30mph. You will see 33% fewer cars, and they will pass you at 18mph rather than 24mph if you previously slogged up the hill at 6mph, but can tackle the same gradient at 12mph with an electric bike. Or at least, we think that’s correct. Whatever the figures, there’s no doubt that an electric bike or even a folding electric bike helps to keep you out of danger. The faster your acceleration, the sooner you can get out of trouble – the same general principle applies to road junctions. And you won’t be tempted to ride downhill at breakneck speed with no need to rush the hills… another useful safety feature.

Purchase cost is a little more than a conventional bike, mechanical wear and tear is about the same, and electricity is so cheap as to be largely irrelevant, but there is an extra expense in terms of battery depreciation. Consequently,typically 5 – 8 pence per mile against 4,an electric bike costs more to run.2 pence per mile for a non-assisted bike (a).
However, electric bike running costs should really be compared with those of a moped, or a car, when the electric bike replaces car mileage. With cars costing 50 – 80 pence per mile, an electric bike can save a great deal of money.

Surely a conventional bike will keep you fitter? That, of course, depends how much – if at all – you use it. With a further 30% being used once a fortnight or even less,research (b) has found that 46% of conventional bikes are used only once or twice a week. By contrast, a recent survey of electric bicycle owners reveals that a third ride their bike at least once a day and 81% use the bike at least once a week (c). The figures confirm our experience that an electric bike typically gets used at least twice as often as a conventional machine.
Because riding an electric bike is a great deal more enjoyable in hilly country, into strong winds, or when carrying heavy loads, users tend to make better use of them. More regular use means more exercise for the rider,the motor provides up to half the effort.

People everywhere are trying to make their lives a little more “green” and environment conscious whether it’s animal friendly fabrics, energy-saving light bulbs, or hybrid cars. The next trendy “green” product may be the e-bike.

The e-bike or electric bike is a cross between a regular bicycle and a dirt bike except it runs on
electricity from a wall outlet. It still has a normal bicycle seat, handlebars, gears and pedals, but uses a little motor to give riders more speed without the hard work or the harmful air pollution of a car.

Ultra Motor creates light electric vehicles (LEVs) to give customers a fun, new way to get around that’s also good for the environment which is one company based in London. LEVs also include scooters,tricycles, folding electric bikes, motorcycles and commute cars. Ultra Motor’s latest product is the 72-lb A2B Metro(,700), which uses a lithium ion battery and reaches a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour,according tothe Ultra Motor Web site. The site states the battery, located behind the seat, can take riders as far as 20 miles on a charged battery and “costs as little as 10 cents to charge – that’s a half cent a mile”.

In Europe and China,so far the e-bike trend has really caught. In an August 2009 Business Week article,the Electric Bicycles Worldwide Reports, a publication that follows e-bike sales, said 23 million e-bikes were sold worldwide, and it predicts that figure to be doubled by 2012. However,the trend hasn’t gained a lot of speed just yet in the United States. Read Business Week article.

According to Ed Benjamin of Light Electric Vehicle Association, about 200,000 electric bikes were sold in 2008 – doubling the amount sold in 2005 – but this year, sales reduced by about 10 percent because of the recession.

American buyers of e-bikes want to be eco-friendly, stay healthy or get to work quickly without breaking a sweat,In a CNN Web site article by Steve Almasy, Brent Meyers, Ultra Motor US director of sales, said so far. Meyers said his company sells more e-bikes when oil prices are at its peak. Read CNN article.

Electric bikes are legally considered bicycles and must adhere to U.S. bicycle laws and therefore, not exceed 20 miles per hour. Some states have even issued laws that wear a standard bike helmet while riding and riders must be a certain age to use e-bikes.