photo by Timo Derstappen (teemow on Flickr CC)
In Stuttgart, Germany, electric motorbike company ELMOTO manufactures zippy E-Bikes that are designed for getting around in cities, much like their combustible-engined cousins.
E-Bikes are high-tech scooters, but some models physically resemble smallish dirt bikes. They are lightweight and run almost silently. I can only hope they catch on for this reason alone, as I live next to a busy road often used by teenagers on noisy mopeds. Alas, their high price tag at the moment – around €4,000 ($5,000) – will prohibit most teenage mopedists from going electric.
ELMOTO’s E-Bikes can reach speeds of 45 km per hour (30 mph) and can travel up to 70 km (43 miles) on a full charge. If the electric scooters could be charged from renewable energy sources, they would offer a truly green solution to city travel.
Of course the E-Bike won’t help keep you fit like the far cheaper, good old-fashioned bicycle will. Nevertheless, they’re a welcome addition to the burgeoning field of green(er) private urban transport.
See this video report from Deutsche Welle for more: