Electric bikes and scooters increasingly popular for commuters
Wednesday, 19 September 2018
Electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular for commuters.
Information from Statistics NZ shows in the year to June 2016, 11,424 e-bikes and scooters were imported into the country, and that number jumped to 27,646 in the year ending June 2018.
Nelson jeweller Glen James said he didn't want the added cost of vehicle registration, warrant of fitness or the worry of having to find a park so an electric scooter seemed like a perfect solution.
'It's my first choice of transport.'
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The scooters take six hours to charge, and James said he could get a full week's commuting to work and back on one charge.
'It's fun riding it, because they are silent it's like you are gliding.'
He had worked out a full charge used 864 watts, which cost around 1.54 cents.
Everyone that asked about the scooters wanted to know the same things, how fast they went, how much they cost and where they could get one.
'If you lived within handy commuting distance, why would you not have one.'
ChargeAbout Nelson owner Chris Hiles said commuting on an e-bike was an unrealised market in New Zealand.
He established the Mapua based rental and sales business about four years ago and said since then, interest had steadily increased.
'We've sold many to recreational riders but their true environmental benefit is the commuter market.'
Hiles said a decent ebike should have a range of between 50-100km on a single charge.
'The true environmental impact and brilliance of electric bikes really is in commuting.
'You can still ride and get to work feeling mentally energised from having a bit of exercise and a bit of fresh air through your lungs but you are not stuffed and you are not dripping with sweat.'
The bikes Hiles sold were 'pedal assist' which meant the rider didn't get any assistance unless they were pedalling, but it meant potential obstacles like hills and headwinds were negated.
'I am a believer in bikes for exercise, that is the whole point of them.
'You end up enjoying riding up hills and with the pedal-assist you are still pedalling.
'Instead of riding your bike once a week, you end up riding three or four times a week and you ride further.'
Nelson City Council employee Mike Scott is a young, fit ebiker who rides to work every day.
Scott bought an e-bike after his regular bike was stolen.
He said being in a one car family with a wife and three small children, it made sense to have the 'extra range' of an electric bike.
Being overtaken by older generations while slogging away on his non electric bike was also motivation for getting the ebike.
'Before my bike got stolen, I'd ride up that long stretch up Railway Reserve … and kept being overtaken by these old ladies. They fly past you and you think, 'What just happened?'
'That lady had to be about 60 and here I am … then you notice the battery.'
Having a bad back was another factor for going electric so he could be more upright, he said.
Scott said he biked in his office clothes, no need to shower or change he said because it's 'just like walking'.
'It's a lot of fun.'