Things are kind of quiet at Steen Bisgaard’s shop right now. Despite the fact that it’s Christmas and he’s located adjacent to a busy shopping mall in the well-heeled Vancouver suburb of Tsawwassen, there just isn’t much foot traffic coming his way and he’s playing a lot of solitaire on his computer. Since he opened, two months ago, Bisgaard has, by his own admission, sold just one bike, to a Victoria customer. Scooters are obviously a hard sell during the holidays.
Even harder when they’re electrically-powered. Bisgaard claims to be one of the first retail outlets in Canada to offer the zero-emission urban runabouts and has a stock of brand-new, made-in-China, power-assisted electric bicycles ready to go. Canadian consumers may not be beating a path to his door just yet, but he is convinced that non internal-combustion two-wheelers are the wave of the future. “In China, they sell at least 300,000 of these things a year in Beijing alone,” he says.
So what exactly, are “these things”? In a nutshell, power assisted electric bicycles are heavy-duty bikes and/or scooters with an electric motor, activated and controlled by using a throttle or button. They come in a range of sizes and configurations, from moped-style bicycles to fully-fledged scooters. Not to mention electric skateboards and gliders. About the only thing they have in common is the fact that they don’t suck gasoline and are 100 per cent clean-running.
One of the more popular models (in China, at least), is the GW-S, which is manufactured by the Jinhua Luyuan company. It has a 250 watt electric motor, a pair of motorcycle batteries, and a range of about 45 kilometres. It has a top speed of 30 km/h and will carry modest amounts of cargo in its rear storage boot. Weight is about 40 kilos and it comes with headlight/taillight, mirrors, turn signals, a horn, and an under-seat storage compartment. Braking is provided by bicycle-style rim-grip callipers up front and a friction brake in the back.
Operating the GW-S is simplicity itself. Get on board, turn the key, twist the throttle grip and off you go. It also helps to pedal a little just to get things rolling from a dead start….especially when your 99 kilogram weight is at the vehicle’s “upper limit” of carrying capacity. It takes between five and eight hours to recharge the GW-S and you can plug it into any 110/120 volt household outlet.
I have to admit that the dork factor is pretty high on the GW-S, and I felt a little like a trained circus bear on a mini-bike when I test-rode it (why are all those people staring at me?). It attains its 30 km/h top speed reasonably quickly, but once you reach it, that’s all there is. No reserve power, no extra throttle. Even modest changes in elevation require pedal assistance, and at one point, in the middle of a 10 per cent uphill grade, my test bike just stopped going forward and I had to pedal like Lance Armstrong in the Pyrenees to get onto the flat again. In all fairness, though, the GW-S is built primarily for lightweight commuters and city dwellers who use it for returning video rentals, picking up a litre of milk, or for “nipping to the wine store”. According to Bisgaard, it’s all a matter of weight vs. performance. “If you’re heavier, the bike won’t go as far or as fast.” And I did kind of enjoy the fact that you glide along in almost complete silence on the GW-S. No mechanical noises of any kind and you can actually hear the birds twittering.
Like all mopeds, electrically-assisted and otherwise, the GW-S is a city vehicle, and not suitable for any kind of highway duty. When you ride it, you must stay in the bicycle lane and off the sidewalk. Because it’s classified as a Limited Speed Motorcycle (LSM), you only need a bicycle helmet for head protection and as long as you have a valid driver’s license, and are over 16, you can legally ride one. Motor vehicle insurance is not required. At least, not yet. Price for the GW-S is about $1600, but there are more basic versions that retail for just under $1000.
If this all sounds a little tame for you, Ottawa has also given the nod to some more powerful scooters. The EVT-168 and 4000E electric motorcycles (made by the same company) have both been approved by Transport Canada and can apparently reach 50-60 km/h, with a 70 kilometre range. Unlike the GW-S, they require a motorcycle-type helmet, an appropriate driver’s license, and motor vehicle insurance.
Steen Bisgaard is anxiously awaiting shipment.
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