Chinese embrace electric bicycles with enthusiasm
According to a recent Associated Press news story, Chinese cyclists are embracing electric bicycles in a big way. One of every three people in China ride bikes of one kind or another, according to the story, putting the total number of bicycles in China at somewhere around 430 million.
Indeed, even with China making great leaps as a leading industrial nation, with income rising and more and more people becoming private auto owners, there is a large group of Chinese consumers being attracted to battery powered bicycles for their daily commutes. As electric bikes increase their presence in China, they are becoming popular for road trips into the countryside, too.
As an example, the AP story makes reference to a woman named Xu who uses her Yamaha electric bike for the half-hour commute she makes each way daily to her job as a marketing manager. She told the wire service reporter that a car would be more comfortable, but much more expensive, and, "I like riding my e-bike during rush hour, and sometimes enjoy a laugh at the people in taxis. It's so convenient and helpful in Shanghai, since the traffic is worse than ever."
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Electric bicycles offer nice features for commuters
Electric bikes have made electrifying progress for those seeking an alternative to short commute vehicles, and for those who want a bit of an assist on short road trips over hilly terrain. Newer electric bicycles offer some really nice features for urban commuters and suburban fun seekers alike.
Think of electric bikes as sort of "environmentally friendly" or "green" mopeds. The older, traditional mopeds were noisy and spewed out a fair amount of pollution from their exhaust even when used sparingly. Today's electric bikes have developed better technology, with longer battery life, and even lighter overall weight. Some newer models of electric bikes claim significant improvements in range, certainly are much quieter than gas powered mopeds, and are made from alloys that permit them to weigh significantly less than the older mopeds.
If you're looking for an alternative to auto commuting, but aren't quite ready to switch over to full-on pedal power, one of the newer electric bicycles could be an option. (They may not yet be ready to depend on for that bicycle camping trip you're planning because of range and recharging issues -- but they're getting there!)
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