What’s New at Currie Technologies - IZIP & EZIP

Sales of electric bikes continue to grow in the U.S. and a sluggish economy may contribute to additional growth as cash strapped consumers look for ways to save money…

Plymouth, MI (PRWEB) January 21, 2009 — With gas prices at record levels, electric bikes stormed onto the scene last summer and several major retailers, including Wal-Mart, capitalized on the craze with their low cost electric bike models. These days, gas prices have subsided and the economy is undergoing one of the worst recessions in years. But according to Craig and Jeremy Panizzoli of eCo Wheelz, Inc, it hasn’t slowed down the sales of electric bike and scooters.

“Traffic continues to grow at our new retail store,” said eCo Wheelz President and Founder, Jeremy Panizzoli. “Surprisingly, most people aren’t even aware that these products exist. But as the word spreads, we’re seeing growing interest as more and more people become educated about the advantages of electric-powered bikes and scooters.”

Located in Downtown Plymouth, MI, eCo Wheelz specializes in electric bicycles, scooters and mopeds. Operating on 100% electric power, these products are both economical and eco-friendly. With a range of 15 to 35 miles per charge (dependent on model), it costs less than a penny per mile to operate an electric bike or scooter. In comparison, the average automobile costs $0.51 per mile. For a commuter who travels 15-30 miles per day, the savings add up quickly and the cost of the bike - as low as $599 - can often be recovered within the first year.

Traffic continues to grow at our new retail store

Surprisingly, most people aren’t even aware that these products exist. But as the word spreads, we’re seeing growing interest as more and more people become educated about the advantages of electric-powered bikes and scooters.

The U.S. market for e-bikes continues to grow. Even with a struggling economy, 2009 is expected to be a record year for electric bike sales, with projections of 170,000 units. Although this is a vast improvement over 120,000 units in 2008, it pales in comparison to European and Asian markets where electric bikes have received widespread acceptance for years. But Panizzoli believes that a bad economy and an uncertain economic outlook will be the driving force for continued growth in the year to come.

“With fear and uncertainty in the air, consumers are looking for ways to cutback. It’s likely many people will be forced to give up their car or search for new ways to save money. Electric bikes provide an excellent alternative and can help struggling families (or individuals) during tough economic times. As the economy continues to suffer, its likely people will continue to search for ways to cut expenses. It’s our job to make sure they know about our products and the bikes will sell themselves.”

Although traffic is likely to slow down over the winter months, eCo Wheelz is expecting spring to be a huge success for their retail store. In the mean time, the eCo Wheelz website is up-and-running all year round and traffic continues to grow (even over the Winter) as consumers in warmer states search for their products online. Choose from a wide variety of electric bikes and scooters, electric mopeds or install one of their electric bike kits.

To learn more about eCo Wheelz and see a full list products, visit: http://www.eco-wheelz.com

Or contact:
Jeremy Panizzoli
eCo Wheelz, Inc.
198 S. Main Street
Plymouth, MI 48170
(734)453-3359

Tags: Economy, electric bicycle, Electric bike, gas prices

There has been a lot written lately about the coming demise of America’s suburbs. The general thesis is that without cheap fuels for cars, lawnmowers and heating, suburban living will become untenable.

People will be forced to abandon their homes and make their way to cities, small towns or rural communities where they can survive without gasoline. There is, of course, another side to this coin.

I will be the among the first to grant that suburbia is a creature of cheap energy, particularly gasoline, and unless there are some radical changes in the way we power our homes, feed and clothe ourselves and move about, there will be great difficulties ahead. There are two major problems that need to be solved in order to keep the widely scattered housing of suburbia habitable without cheap energy — transportation and excessive residential consumption of energy.

Not everything about the suburbs will be a downside when the era of cheap fossil fuel comes to an end. Nearly all suburban dwellings have broad roofs and yards that are suitable for collecting some form of solar or in some places wind energy. In many cases, suburban yards are suitable for growing food or perhaps even raising poultry or other small livestock. Most have yards allowing for easy access to subsurface geothermal energy. They are clean and have adequate sources of water and a means to handle sewage. These are not inconsequential assets when trying to maintain large numbers of people in some form of civilization in the face of dwindling supplies of energy. There are already places in Asia that are facing life-threatening water and sanitation problems due to the lack of electricity to run the pumps.

For the immediate future, an unappreciated aspect of suburban homes is easy access to a source of electricity for recharging electric vehicles. Wiring of urban streets and parking areas for recharging plug-in electric cars will cost billions and likely take decades. This week’s Detroit automobile show stands as a monument to the closing era of the internal combustion engine. Nearly every automobile manufacturer is showing some form of electric powered vehicle that should be available, for those that can still afford them, in three or four years.

Some, with good reason, doubt that there will be enough resources, energy, and money to replace the 250 million passenger cars and trucks that we have in America so that we can continue motoring with electricity rather than gasoline. These skeptics are probably right if one assumes that the motor vehicles of the future will be electric clones of the of the 3-6,000 pound behemoths that are clogging the roads today.

Transportation to, from and around suburbia ten or 20 years from now will have to be markedly different than today. While some will have plug-in electric cars, it is unlikely that electricity will continue to be cheap in an era of dwindling fossil fuel supplies, carbon caps and emission taxes. Wasting energy will become a thing of the past. Driving to work or the store in a 4,000 pound electric car will simply become too expensive for most. In place of today’s ubiquitous automobile will be a variety of light electric vehicles, ranging from electric bicycles, tricycles, and scooters, to very small cars that will be inexpensive to produce, use minimal amounts of electric energy and provide much of the mobility that will be required for everyday life… [ More ]

[ Via Falls Church News Press Online ]

Tags: Bicycle, cheap fuels, Detroit automobile show, efficient electric vehicle, electric car, gasoline, suburbia

How many tourists in Times Square does it take to light up the “2009″ sign on New Year’s Eve?

137,228.

That’s how many people it took to generate enough electricity to light up the numerical display that will blaze after the clock strikes midnight and the ball drops over Times Square in Manhattan on Wednesday night.

Beginning Dec. 2, holiday visitors stopping by the Charmin public restrooms on Broadway and 45th Street could ride the escalator two flights up and hop on one of six stationary bicycles that looked like snowmobiles and were rigged to electric generators. The generators charged a set of four large batteries that will light the sign and help green the annual event.

Duracell, the battery manufacturing company that set up the “power lodge

,” said the electricity was generated using rotary technology — pedal power and spinning wheels, similar to systems used on wind farms.

By Dec. 27, the original goal of 230 pedaled hours had been surpassed by more than 20 percent. On Sunday, the batteries were transported to a new location for safekeeping until Wednesday night.

Some visitors to the power lodge Monday, like Megan Coakley, 13, were disappointed they were too late to help fuel Wednesday’s festivities. “It would’ve been awesome to try the bikes,” said Miss Coakley, who traveled from Tinton Falls, N.J., with her twin sister and parents, Beth and John, to visit New York for the day.

Although the bikes are no longer in use and now available for viewing only, visitors to Duracell’s hub can still recharge gadgets at power terminals, hang out in front of an artificial fireplace or play one of several Nintendo Wiis stationed in the lodge. Ms. Coakley and her family declined to linger, saying they had game consoles at home.

Jeremy French, 21, a field manager for Gigunda, the marketing team staffing Duracell’s lodge, said that the facilities were even popular with local Manhattanites. “A group of elderly women came in several times to ride the bike,” said Mr. French. “They brought water bottles and would go at it for 20 minutes or so a day.”

The “2009” sign is made up of 608 halogen bulbs that will require 7.25 kilowatt-hours of electricity to light up after the famous ball drop. By comparison, in 2006, the average residence in the United States consumed 920 kilowatt-hours per month.. [ More ]

[ Via The New York Times

]

Tags: People Power, Times Square

Electric bicycles have long been staples in other nations, but are starting to find their way into the United States. Thanks to ElectricBikesScooters.com, people can have their first crack at the latest 2009 line of new IZIP and EZIP bikes and scooters.

Encinitas, CA (PRWEB) December 19, 2008 — The concept of “going green” is something that’s been highly touted in recent years, yet the idea of the electric bike (or e-bike) has been around since the late 1800s, but has seen its popularity grow in highly populated areas like Japan and Europe. Now as bicycles are becoming more prevalent in American cities, the e-bike is also hitting big stateside.

Enter Paul Rosenbaum and his website www.ElectricBikesScooters.com.
Rosenbaum purchased an electric bike seven years ago and has often fielded questions about what he was riding and where one could be found. Finally, he decided to build his business around it.

“These bikes are great for exercise and they’re easier to ride,” said Rosenbaum. “Why get in an SUV to drive to the grocery store that could be five blocks away? Just ride a bike.”

Rosenbaum launched his site in March 2008 and it has since become one of the most popular online destinations for people who are seeking their own electric bikes and scooters. For people who are in the San Diego-area, Rosenbaum also goes the extra mile, or at least he lets them go the extra mile by his “Test Ride” program.

“I set up testing on a local level,” he explained. “I also ship around the United States and Canada, so someone in Burlington, Ontario can order a bike from me and receive it in a timely fashion.”

As the end of the calendar year looms, Rosenbaum is looking forward to the new line of 2009 bikes and scooters he will be carrying. “There are quite a few improvements on some of the bike which includes a lithium battery and an increased speed,” Rosenbaum said.

Having just added the 2009 line, Rosenbaum also looks to the new informational blog he’s set up with www.ElectricBicycleBlog.com.

The blog offers up some of the e-bikes and scooters’ environmentally friendly facts, as well as some other helpful tips about maintenance and general information.

Though e-bikes may not fully replace the automobile (that’s what hybrids are for), they are sound investments for people who want to go on a nice ride without overexerting themselves or to be a little bit nicer to the planet.

About the Company:

ElectricBikesScooters.com is a part of PCR Online Products which is owned and operated by Paul Rosenbaum. The website specializes in Currie brand IZIP and EZIP electric bicycles and scooters…. [ More ]

[ Via Press Release Newswire

]

Tags: e-bike, Electric bike, electric scooters, ezip, Going Green, izip

Name one industry that hasn’t yet suffered from the global gray economy. Personal hygiene? Snacks for couch potatoes? Nope, it’s the global bicycle industry. Taiwan’s Shimano reports that its bike division is driving profitability, and Giant Manufacturing predicts upwards growth well into next year.

And the fledgling U.S. market for e-bikes is expecting a banner 2009, with sales projections of 170,000 and Wal-Mart as major distributor. (Kind of an irony when you consider how difficult it would be to bike to most Wal-Marts in this country!) Japan (the best e-bike market) added nearly twice that number of new electric bikes last year. China is increasing its export subsidies for the bicycle industry to fuel exports during the recession.

Bicycle technology is also advancing with the advent of the chainless belt-drive bike, new models of folding bikes

, and snazzier e-bikes.

To support this positive data, continued improvement to the U.S. bike infrastructure is a necessity.

Seattle, where the City Council is determined to spend $240 million in order to one-up Portland’s fabled reputation as Cycle City, has the right idea.

New York City’s City Council, which is considering putting bike path development on the chopping block as spending projections plummet, does not.

From the looks of it, Obama’s stimulus plan is giving a green light to infrastructure. “Shovel ready” highway and bridge projects total about $18 billion

, while bicycle and pedestrian projects are currently a paltry $325 million.

America Bikes and Rails-to-Trails are trying to push a more balanced stimulus package with more emphasis on pedestrian and bike projects. Instead of a lot more eight-lane highways let’s push for things like separated-lane city streets mixing the needs of peds, bikes and other transit, and give U.S. biking its best year ever… [ More ]

[ Via The Huffington Post ]

Tags: chainless, e-bike, green light, Obama

LOS ANGELES, CA (BRAIN)—Currie Technologies has introduced a new “Web to Dealer” IBD Fulfillment Program.

This new program allows consumers who purchase an IZIP hybrid electric bicycle on Currie’s Web store (www.izipusa.com) to have their bikes shipped directly to a dealer store (without shipping charges) for professional assembly and set-up. In return dealers receive compensation for their assembly and have the opportunity to assist customers with proper set-up.

“It’s also the most ideal time to sell consumers necessary accessories and apparel, not to mention a chance to make them a customer for life,” said Larry Pizzi, Currie’s president.

During the past year as interest from U.S. consumers spiked to an all-time high, demand for IZIP hybrid electric bikes outstripped the companies’ limited dealer distribution.

“Because in many areas, they could not find IZIP bikes in their local bike shops, consumers turned to the Web to search for our products,” Pizzi said.

In response to this record demand Currie Technologies launched izipusa.com, a multi-faceted commerce enabled Web site and built a Web sales department to support the initiative. The Web site is equipped with a dynamic “Dealer Locater” using Google Map-it Technology to help guide customers to the closest stores. Now with this new program the consumer has the option to place their order on-line, choosing from every available model and pick their bike up fully assembled at the nearest dealer location, bridging the gap between Web purchases and dealer sales.

Pizzi expects that the fulfillment program will bring many new customers into dealers’ stores, and ensure that IZIP Hybrid Electric Bicycles are assembled and delivered professionally to the consumer by an authorized Currie Technologies Dealer who understands and believes in the product.

New dealer information is available by contacting Currie’s Dealer Sales Department at 1-800-377-4532 Option 3 or by emailing sales@izipusa.com. [ More

]

[ Via Bicycle Retailer and industry news ]

Tags: currie technologies, Electric Bikes, hybrid electric bike, IBD Fulfillment Program, izip, IZIP hybrid electric bikes, Larry Pizzi

Tags: green, Santa Cruz

Starting at January’s giant Consumer Electronics Show, this year has brought a stream of substantial and sometimes silly technology designed to entertain us, inform us, or simply separate us from our money. Some of the best might still make good holiday presents, except for those looking for a more frugal list. The worst might best be forgotten.

These stars arrived with breakthrough technology:

Hybrid electric bikes. Hopping on the Giant Twist Freedom DX

($2,000) produces a “wow” moment in technology. An electric motor subtly eases pedaling and automatically disengages when pedaling is stopped. With a range of 70 miles on its rechargeable batteries, the bike can take the sweat out of a two-wheel commute. Less expensive versions are available from Currie Technologies, and a high-style model comes from Pi Mobility.

… [ More ]

[ Via usnews.com]

Tags: currie technologies, e-bike, Geotagging, Hybrid electric bikes, TV

Three weeks ago someone stole Christmas presents from the Niles New Life Church in east Bakersfield that were supposed to go to families in need.

Since then folks from Bakersfield all the way down to the San Fernando Valley have stepped up to help replenish those gifts. The McElroy family from Oildale is asking people who watch their nightly light show to donate toys to the Niles New Life Church. “Every year we put up Christmas lights. This year we were watching the news and saw the Niles New Life Church and the Grinch had stolen their Christmas and we decided when people come by to look at the lights anyways they could drop off a toy.” said Heather McElroy.

Three weeks ago thieves broke into the chruch’s (church’s) storage container and stole 60 electric scooters valued at $350 each, along with dozens of toys meant to be given to at least 30 east Bakersfield families in need.

A few nights ago, the McElroys kicked off their toy drive, asking folks to help fill up their sleigh with toys. “Oh people think it ‘ s a great idea and people are very receptive and very willing to give.” said McElroy. The gift of giving has come from as far away as the San Fernando Valley. Currie Technologies who manufactured the original scooters stolen heard of the theft through the Internet and decided to donate 100 scooters, nearly twice the amount stolen. President of Currie Technologies, Larry Pizzi, said “I was really compelled and it seemed like such a tragedy these things were stolen from a church. It was unbelievable to me and I was in a position to help and happy to do so.” The Niles New Life Church says they’re thrilled to now be able to bring Christmas back to families in east Bakersfield. The Rev. Dennie Watson said, “Something bad happened but God turned it for good and the neat thing to see is how many good people there are that care for others and them stepping up and saying ‘What can we do to help’.” Meanwhile, the thieves who stole all the gifts have not been caught… [ More ]

[ News Via KERO 23 ABC News ]

Tags: Bakersfield News, currie technologies, electric scooters, Larry Pizzi, Local Church Receives Community Outpour, News, President, toy

The number of e-bikes sold in the U.S. is expected to reach a record 170,000 units this year as big retailers get in on the action

A decade ago, Frank Jamerson helped develop General Motors’ (GM) first electric car, the EV1, only to see interest in the fuel-efficient vehicle fizzle within years. He’s determined to ensure another pet project, the electric bike, doesn’t suffer the same fate.

So far, so good for Jamerson, a retired 81-year-old physicist who can be seen zipping around his hometown of Naples, Fla., on an electric bike.

Amid rising fuel costs in recent years, baby boomers, commuters, and college students have begun biking more often. In the U.S. and Western Europe, the fastest-growing niche of the bicycle market is electric bikes, a category that includes motorized vehicles of various stripes—from bikes to pedicabs to tricycles—that range in price from $350 to $14,000.

Wal-Mart Upping the Ante
The number of e-bikes is likely to rise to a record 170,000 units in the U.S. this year, from 120,000 last year, says Jamerson, who’s long compiled research on the industry. The U.S. market pales in comparison with China, where there are 20 million e-bikes sold annually. But while China, the largest e-biking market, has stagnated, sales are on the upswing in the U.S.

E-biking is getting a jolt as big retailers get in on a market once dominated by specialty bike shops. Earlier this year, Wal-Mart (WMT) began selling bicycles from Currie Technologies, the largest maker of e-bikes in the U.S., in 145 stores. More recently, the world’s largest retailer expanded availability to more than 450 locations.

By next spring, Wal-Mart plans to carry the gadgets in more than 850 stores, says Larry Pizzi, president of Currie, based in Chatsworth, Calif. Toys “R” Us plans to expand its distribution of the e-bikes tenfold, to 550 stores. “This has been the most rapid growth year in the company’s [10-year] history,” Pizzi says. “We’ve seen dramatically increased interest thanks to financial motivations, environmental concerns. And baby boomers are getting older [and need some help getting up that hill].” Target (TGT

) also sells e-bikes.

Driven by Gas Prices

How long can the e-biking boom last? The dramatic decline in gas prices in recent months has lessened the urgency for alternative transportation for some commuters. A credit crisis is making it harder for consumers to borrow. Eric Sundin, president of Electric Bikes Northwest & California, one of the largest distributors of high-end electric bikes from the likes of Giant Bicycle in the country, says he’s noticed a slowdown in mid-October. He notes that late autumn is typically a slow season for the industry. Still, “if gas prices come down, people’s interest becomes more lukewarm,” he says, adding that bicycle purchases are “very largely correlated to disposable income… [More

]

[Via Business Week]

Tags: alternative transportation, Chatsworth, e-bikes, e-biking, Electric Bikes, gas prices, Larry Pizzi, Wal-Mart