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Electric scooters
roll onto the roads
Tyler Hopson
thopson@nsnews.com
Give him the chance, and
Colin Mastin will energetically explain at length
the benefits of riding an electric scooter.
Out on 15th Street near
Lonsdale Avenue one morning, he fields questions
from passersby and chats up anyone who seems curious.
The only problem?
People just don't seem
to be listening all that much - yet.
The West Vancouver resident
can be found riding to and from his workplace in
Vancouver on one such bike. Most other drivers on
the road probably think he's riding a motorbike.
But there's no engine and
no fuel in Mastin's bike. All that's needed are
two charged-up batteries.
The bikes are made in China
and then upgraded (by Mastin) at E-ride, a store
in Kitsilano, so that they can better handle the
hilly terrain of the Lower Mainland.
The
bikes can reach a top speed of about 30 km/h and
have a range of 80 kilometres. When the batteries
are drained, it takes just three hours to fully
recharge them again using regular voltage.
If you don't feel like
using the batteries or if they die on you mid-trip,
you can always pedal the scooter just like a regular
bike.
Despite the benefits,
Mastin often gets a cool response from potential
clients.
"I feel kind of
like 'Sam I am,' " says Mastin, a reference
to the character in Dr. Seuss' famous Green Eggs
and Ham book. "Would you? Could you try one?"
Some buyers are enticed
by the fact that e-scooters are classified the same
as regular bicycles.
There's no need to
purchase insurance for their use. You don't even
need a driver's licence. Just a helmet is all that's
required.
Mastin even throws
in a rain cape for new buyers so they can better
face the chilly winter weather.
E-scooters are a whole
lot cheaper than buying a Vespa, the famous Italian
bike to which e-scooters bear some resemblance.
Several different models
are available, the cheapest of them starting at
$1,199, with a higher-end model only about $200
more.
The scooters come in
several colours and are available for test rides
at E-ride, located at 1703 West Fourth Ave. in Vancouver.
Call 604-331-0555 or
604-782-8567 for more information
published on
11/04/2005
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