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Electric Bicycle

An electric bicycle utilizes a small motor to aid pedaling as a means of propulsion. They were invented in the 19th century in Europe. There are many variants of electrically assisted bikes, from a moped down to a tiny motor that is only meant for an uphill assist. The prices are equally varied, you can pay anything from a few hundred into the thousands for one of these bikes.

When you think of an electric bicycle what country comes to mind? The majority of you probably just said China, and you’d be correct. In 1996 Shanghai had 370 thousand electric bikes, and only 470 thousand other vehicles. That means there were almost as many electric bikes as cars, trucks, busses, and carriages!

The electric bicycle may have been a western invention, but Asians have found a far more pervasive use for it that Europeans. Even the Europeans have done better than Americans in terms of electric bikes. One of the best things about an electric bike that only runs the motor occasionally is that you can use the excess energy of downhill movement to recharge the battery. This makes them extremely environmentally friendly.

 

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