FOX 5 Money: Electric Bikes

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - In many countries, commuters zip in and out of traffic on bicycles. Americans are slowly catching on and businessmen like Geoff Elliott are banking on it.

"It's a start and I think the big start is not having the car being the default all the time. And the energy savings are vast between taking your bike and not taking your car," said Elliott.

His company in Annapolis, Green Pedals, specializes in all things electric. He's got city and off-road skateboards and scooters -- to be sure. But electric bicycles are where things are really happening.

"You can keep up with traffic better because you have a little bit of motor power. You can arrive at work without being sweaty," explained Elliott.

According to Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports (EBWR), U.S. sales should double this year to about 300,000 units. That is impressive considering the price: $1,500 on the low end. Much of that cost is in the lithium-ion battery, which is $500 to $1,000 alone.

"But you have to figure what your savings would be by not driving your car," said Frank Jamerson of EBWR.

He has been championing electric bikes for years, and notes that the starter price is well below what some cycling enthusiasts pay for their bikes.

Styles range from sturdy trikes to city cruisers. Elliott said many of his customers choose the folding version that can easily be stowed on a boat or a private plane.

With a BionX conversion kit, any bike can be retrofitted to become electric. All it takes is three parts: a rear wheel which has the motor in its hub, a microprocessor to control the motor and a battery that clicks in on the frame where your water bottle clip might go. That conversion is about $1,700.

The range, around 30 miles on electric power alone, can cover most commutes.

"You can do all the bicycle riding you want to do and sort of edit out the parts that you don't like," said Elliott.

Like an extra kick to get up a tough hill. Some cycles use a pull-back throttle on the handle, similar to what you'd do with a motorcycle.

On others, the motor smoothly engages as you start to pedal the bike.

A cruiser like the Madsen kg271 Bucket bike outfitted with a BionX kit takes away almost any excuse you might have for not doing errands by bike.

"For kids and all sorts of cargo, if you're at the beach, beach chairs, coolers, really you can get a whole week's worth of groceries in there," Elliott said of the bike's generous tub attached to the frame.

Electric bikes are still a long way from catching up to worldwide sales.

"There are 120 million electric bikes on road in China today," said Jamerson. "It happens in America when gasoline goes to $10 a gallon."

There are things governments can do to encourage their adoption, like extending federal tax credits for electric vehicles to bicycles, too. Commuters can get up to $20 a month for biking to work if their employer offers qualified transportation fringe benefits, or QTFs.

As the green revolution changes our habits, it's hoped small electric vehicles will be a part of it.

On the Net:

GreenPedals

Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports

Qualified Bicycle Commuting Reimbursement