The spike in gasoline prices, along with a desire for a greener commute, have people such as Wolfe increasingly turning to electric bikes as an alternative form of transportation. Experts say the bikes, which function much like typical two-wheeler with addition of a battery-powered assist, are flying off the racks.Although official sales figures are hard to quantify, the Gluskin-Townley Group, which performs market research for the National Bicycle Dealers Association, estimates 10,000 electric bikes were sold in the U.S. in 2007, an increase of 6,000 over the number sold in 2006.
Bert Cebular, owner of NYCeWheels, an electric bike and scooter dealership in New York, reports a 50 percent jump in sales over last year. And Amazon.com Inc. reported sales of electric bikes jumped more than 6,000 percent in July from a year earlier.
"The electric bikes are the next big thing," Frank Jamerson, a former General Motors Corp. executive turned electric vehicle expert, told the AP.
The electric bikes are even more popular in Europe, where commuters seek alternatives for short trips that can free them from having to navigate overcrowded transport systems.
According to industry estimates, 89,000 electric bikes were sold in the Netherlands last year, while 60,000 power-assisted bikes were sold in Germany.