Cupertino looks at electric bicycles for alternative city transportation
Posted December 18, 2009 – 1:10 am in: AutosCupertino city employees soon could be pedaling to meetings and other events if the city decides to expand a trial program using electric bicycles as alternative transportation.
The city recently purchased an EZip electric bicycle for $750 from Los Gatos-based Mader Technologies, and city leaders said they hope the bike, which is a hybrid of a standard mountain bike and a low-speed electric motorcycle, will be an eco-friendly alternative that will save the city fuel money in the long run.
If city staff finds the bike practical, the city could purchase as many as four more bikes, said Erin Cooke, environmental affairs coordinator. The city also has applied for transportation funding grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Bikes typically cost between 0 and ,000.
After the new bike completes legal, safety and staff training requirements,The city will start testing it.
Cooke said the city recently completed a greenhouse gas emission inventory and found that approximately 16 percent to 18 percent of emissions come from the city’s vehicle fleet.
Rick Kitson, city and environmental affairs spokesperson, says the bicycle is ideal for a small city like Cupertino, which is 11 square miles.
he said, to get to meetings across town,employees could use the bicycles.
“A lot of our local trips are no more than three to five miles,” Cooke added.
The bike has a 450-watt motor and can reach speeds up
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to 15 miles per hour, and comes with a battery pack and control system on the handlebars, which powers the back wheel. The battery pack takes about six hours to fully charge, according to local electric bikes dealer Thomas Mader.
Before it needs a charge if there is a mix of human and electric power,the battery power for the bike lasts for about 10 to 15 miles. According to Mader,if there is no pedaling,the battery lasts about seven to 10 miles.
“We really like this over a more traditional electric bike because once those run out of power, there really is no other option for getting back,” Cooke said.
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