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Newsroom
6/06/07 Enviro-Bike
Electric
Bicycles
Celebrates one
year in
business! For
the month of
June, we are
giving away a
free helmet
with each
vehicle
sold.
10/06/06 Palmer Electric Vehicles Arrive!
We now are a
dealer for
Palmer
Industries here
in southern
California. In
addition to a
unit that we
had presold to
a customer, two
others have
arrived for
demo purposes.
We have a
Palmer Twosome
with a 50 mile
range and also
an electric
Joyrider single
seater
semi-recumbant
tricycle at our
store now.
These should
attract lots of
interest later
this week when
we display them
at the
Encinitas
Chamber of
Commerce Health
and Wellness
Fair and The
Encinitas
Seniors
Fair.
7/15/06 Enviro-Bike
Electric
Bicycles
grand opening a
huge
success!
We had almost
non-stop test
rides as people
were eager to
qualify for our
Grand Prize
draw for a
green and white
"California
Green Dream
Machine" model
Enviro-Bike.
The winning
entrants name
was Sheena B.
of Carlsbad
California. On
July 17th she
dropped by the
store to pick
up her prize
and take it for
a "shakedown
cruise" in the
parking lot.
Congratulations
Sheena!
7/9/06 Enviro-Bike
Electric
Bicycles
store now open
for
business!
The first
container of
ebikes arrived
at the
Enviro-Bike
store in
Encinitas on
June 20, Since
then we have
been busy
assembling and
testing each
bike. The
official grand
opening of the
store will be
on July 15th.
Part of the
celebration
will include a
free draw for a
"California
Green Dream
Machine" model
500R worth
$1299.00. Every
person who test
drives an
electric bike
between now and
July 15th will
be eligible to
enter the prize
draw which will
be held at 4PM
on the day of
the grand
opening.
Officials from
the Encinitas
Chamber of
Commerce will
attend and
perform a
ribbon cutting
ceremony. Click
here
for a PDF of
our official
media news
release.
Gas
Prices
Skyrocketing
all over North
America - No
End in
Sight!
Click the image
above for
current prices
in your
area.
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Scooterteq
Electric
Bicycles Legal
for on Road Use
in US and
Canada
Scooterteq
e-bikes are
legal for on
road use in the
United States
and Canada
without license
or registration
under current
bicycle
laws. No
license,
registration or
insurance is
required.
They are
compliant with
US
PL107-319
and
Sect.
2(1) of the
CMVSA as
Power Assisted
Bicycles.
Max. speed is
32km/hr at
output of 500
watts. Canadian
provincial laws
may
vary.
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Bicycles,
bike lanes and
quality of life
in
California
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All
bike lanes in
Encinitas and
the rest of
California are
e-bike
friendly.
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Plugged
In - E-Bikes
and Segways are
Slow to Catch
on—But
Rebates
Help
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Click
above.
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Whoa!
Whoa!
 Add
it
up!
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Cars
cost their
owners more
than $7,800 a
year
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BY
HARRIET JOHNSON
BRACKEY
South Florida
Sun-Sentinel
FORT
LAUDERDALE,
Fla. -- Here's
an item you may
have left out
of your
personal
budget: The
average annual
cost of driving
a car is now
$7,834.
AAA released
its yearly
survey Tuesday
about the
average costs
of owning
passenger cars
that are driven
15,000 miles a
year.
The average
driving cost --
a mix of
expenses for
small, medium
and large
passenger cars
-- works out to
$150 a week.
And that's not
just because
the price of
gasoline is
hovering around
$2.50 a gallon
nationwide. The
AAA survey
factors in
gasoline at 9.5
cents a mile
based on a
$2.40-a-gallon
average price
nationwide at
the end of last
year. Then, it
adds other
out-of-pocket
costs such as
tires,
insurance,
maintenance,
licenses and
financing.
The biggest
cost, however,
is one many
drivers don't
actually see:
depreciation,
or how much
less your car
is worth every
year.
Maintenance
runs $735,
tires are $105
and insurance
averages $926 a
year. The AAA
survey pegs
license fees,
taxes and
registration at
$535, finance
charges at $716
and
depreciation at
$3,392.
Gasoline added
$1,425 to the
total.
AAA has been
conducting the
surveys since
1950.
Because the
group vastly
overhauled its
methods last
year, it's
impossible to
say whether the
cost of driving
went up or down
in the most
recent survey.
(Even though
you know the
price of gas
went up.)
Last year, AAA
looked at
driving costs
for three
American-made
cars. This
year, it
averaged the
operating costs
for five
top-selling
cars in the
small, middle
and large
categories. The
best-sellers
were both
American and
foreign models,
along with SUVs
and
minivans.
Your personal
costs of
driving will
vary greatly,
depending upon
which model you
choose, said
Michael
Calkins, AAA's
manager for
approved auto
repairs.
"SUVs are far
and away the
most expensive
to operate," he
said. The
per-mile costs
to operate a
4-wheel-drive
SUV is 20.1
cents, compared
with 15.5 cents
for a
medium-sized
sedan, or 17
cents for a
minivan.
To be sure,
driving costs
will continue
to go up,
because that's
where gasoline
is headed.
Consumers are
headed into the
summer driving
season, which
began yesterday
with the start
of
daylight-saving
time. And
Memorial Day,
the traditional
start of
summer, is just
one month
away.
"I think we'll
see gas prices
rise earlier
than usual and
faster," said
Mark Vitner,
Wachovia
Securities
senior
economist.
The economy is
strong, demand
for gasoline is
robust and
supplies are
still tight.
Almost 23
percent of the
production
capacity in the
Gulf of Mexico
region remains
shut down, due
to Hurricane
Katrina.
Storm season
this year will
determine where
gasoline prices
head after
their usual
spring jump,
Vitner
said.
"Let's just
hope that
hurricanes
steer clear of
the Gulf and
steer clear of
your area this
season," he
said.
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top)
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The
Additives
Dilemma-It All
Adds Up to the
Cost
President
Bush said not
long ago that
Americans have
an addiction to
oil and more
specifically,
that we are
hooked on cheap
oil. But they
also are
concerned about
a clean
environment.
Now, we are
told, some
parts of Texas
and the East
Coast that use
gas
reformulated
with
water-polluting
chemicals ether
can expect
price spikes as
oil refineries
drop them for
less hazardous,
corn-based
ethanol. The
change will
provide a
glimpse into
how drivers
react to the
reality of
increased fuel
prices in
exchange for
safer drinking
water and a
cleaner,
healthier
planet.
According to
the Energy
Information
Administration,
the nation's
current level
of ethanol
production is
not adequate to
meet the coming
demand. Oil
refiners are
having to make
the switch
sooner than
they'd planned
because federal
environmental
rules soon will
no longer
provide a
shield from
lawsuits over
chemical
contamination
of local water
supplies. This
is forcing the
companies to
scramble for a
replacement
additive.
Additives
reduce smog by
helping fuels
burn more
cleanly.
Consumers will
feel the impact
of the quick
changeover in
their wallets.
Because U.S.
ethanol
production is
at capacity,
refiners will
have to buy
ethanol from
foreign
producers,
representatives
say. Ethanol
has to be
shipped by rail
or truck rather
than by
pipeline and
companies are
finding they
don't have
adequate
storage tanks
for ethanol.
These can all
result in
supply
disruptions,
leading to
demand that
outstrips
availability
and to higher
pump
prices.
In Texas,
Houston and the
Dallas-Fort
Worth areas are
expected to
feel the
hardest gas
pinch as summer
driving gets
under way.
Houston
motorists
already are
paying 38 cents
a gallon more
now than at
this time last
year. Gas
prices that go
higher still
will be a
hardship for
families as
motor fuel
takes an even
bigger bite out
of the budget.
Higher pump
prices also
mean paying
more elsewhere
as businesses
will pass on
their increased
costs. This
same experience
will be shared
by all of the
coastal cities
far from the
source of
supplies of
ethanol.
Despite
Americans'
growing
willingness to
view global
warming, air
pollution and
water pollution
as valid
reasons for
burning less
fossil fuel,
they resist
having
environmental
conservation
thrust upon
them. The
public rejects
forced
reductions in
gas demand
through
price-increasing
fuel taxes.
Drivers will
pay less
attention to
the whys and
wherefores of
this spring's
expected fuel
price jumps and
more attention
to the bite
taken out of
their budgets.
Having dealt
over the past
year with high
world oil
prices and
increases due
to Hurricane
Katrina,
motorists may
now experience
the coming
price spikes as
the impetus
needed to seek
other ways to
conserve fuel
consumption and
reduce the cost
of local
commuting and
recreational
travel.
(back
to
top)
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Is
this the
solution to the
gasoline
problem?
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In
2004, the
nonpartisan
Congressional
Budget Office
estimated that
a gasoline tax
of 46 cents a
gallon, up from
today's federal
tax of 18
cents, would
reduce gasoline
consumption by
10 percent over
the next 14
years.
That is a
28¢
increase per
gallon.
It costs 7
cents to
recharge your
Scooterteq
e-bike which
will take you
30 miles.
28¢ will
get you 120
miles. A
total tax of
46¢ on a
gallon of gas
will buy you
197 miles on a
Scooterteq
electric
bicycle.
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Special
News
Bulletin
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China
Shutting Down
Small ATV,
Dirtbike and
Motorcycle
Factories
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Just
after the first
of the year the
Chinese
Ministry of
Commerce
released a
directive
addressed to
all provinces,
municipalities
and self
governing
regions regarding
the exportation
of all
gasoline
powered
motorcycles,
ATV's and
go-karts with
engines of 50cc
or
greater. It
applies to all
vehicles
regardless of
whether they
are intended
for on-road or
off-road use.
1.
Any
manufacturer of
such vehicles
must have China
Compulsory
Certification
which
requires a
government
inspection of
the facility to
insure that the
manufacturer
has the
equipment,
including
mandated test
equipment, to
conduct such
operations.
They must
demonstrate
that they have
the technical
expertise
including
highly trained
personnel to
support these
operations.
They must also
have ISO9000
certification
and are subject
to regular
unannounced
inspections of
the facility.
China
Compulsory
Certification
sets standards
for all
components used
in the assembly
of these
vehicles
including
brakes, rims,
tires, all
electrical
components
including
lights and
fuses and
mechanical
devices.
All outsourced
parts must be
provided by CCC
certified
suppliers.
2.
All such
vehicle must
bear a VIN
containing the
WMI issued by
the China
liaison office
of SAE (Society
of Automotive
Engineers).
The China SAE
office works
with the
Ministry of
Industry and
will only issue
such WMI's to
manufacturers
approved by the
Chinese
government.
The waiting
list for WMI's
is currently
about one year
before the
applications
are even
considered.
3.
The
manufacturer
must have been
in the business
of
manufacturing
such vehicles
for no less
than one year
and have made
an initial
investment of
capital of no
less than
US$500,000.
(This is
roughly the
equivalent of
US$3,000,000
required to
achieve a
similar startup
in the US or
Canada.)
4.
All Chinese
companies that
do not have a
export license
must use the
services of a
government
approved export
agent.
There are
probably as
many as several
thousand such
agents of
various
sizes.
The number of
export agents
authorized to
transact the
exportation of
such vehicles
has been
reduced to
five.
Companies that
possess and
export license
are still
subject to the
foregoing
requirements
for CCC and
ISO9000
certification.
5.
All vehicles
exported must
meet the
requirements of
the country to
which they are
to be
exported.
This includes
EPA
certification
for products
exported to the
US. The
burden of proof
is on the
exporter to
prove that they
are compliant
with those
requirements.
6.
Exporters must
submit to the
Ministry of
Commerce full
details of all
vehicles to be
exported.
7.
All
manufacturers
must comply
with these
regulations by
March 1,
2006.
Those not in
full compliance
will be denied
export licenses
for the goods.
8.
This directive
does not apply
to electric
bicycles,
e-bikes and
power-assisted
bicycles.
This
directive
essentially
shuts down all
of the small
manufacturers
which are in
fact assembly
operations and
allows access
to foreign
markets only to
established and
well
capitalized
enterprises.
This is likely
in preparation
for major
efforts by
China to enter
the world
automotive
market for
durable
vehicles.
(back
to
top)
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National
Traffic and
Safety
Information
DOT
regulates motor
vehicles that
are primarily
manufactured
for use on
public streets,
roads, and
highways.
Motor scooters,
pocket bikes,
and the like
are regulated
as motor
vehicles if:
1.
they are
equipped with a
seat;
2.
the seat is not
collapsible or
removable and
the handlebar
cannot be
folded down to
make the unit
capable of
being
transported in
the trunk of a
car;
3.
they are
capable of a
top speed above
20 miles per
hour; and
4.
they are
equipped with
lights, turn
signals, a
horn, or other
components
needed for
on-road
operation.
5.
electrical
bicycles with a
top speed of 20
mph are
excluded from
the provisions
of the Federal
Motor Vehicle
Safety Act in
the US (up to
750W output)
and the Canada
Motor Vehicle
Safety Act (up
to 500W
output).
In the U.S.
electric
bicycles are
now regulated
by the Consumer
Product Safety
Commission
(CPSC) and must
comply with
safety
regulations
that apply all
to bicycles
whether nor not
they are
equipped with
motors.
Vehicles
that do not
meet the above
criteria (such
as dirt bikes,
ATVs, and
racing cycles)
that are
intended only
for off-road
use are not
subject to the
FMVSS and can
be lawfully
imported into
the United
States without
regard to
whether they
comply with
those
standards.
The
use of
non-compliant
vehicles on
public
thoroughfares
is a motor
vehicle
violation in
most
jurisdictions
and can result
in fines and
confiscation of
the vehicle.
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Up
to the Minute
New Flashes for
Ebikes
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Media
Releases --
Police --
Departments --
City of
Danville,
Virginia
...
electric
power-assisted
bicycles,
and mopeds on
roadways and
bicycle
paths.
... that
is either (i) a
bicycle-like
device with
pedals and a
helper
motor
...
Prince
William County
Code Chapter
13, Art. XIII,
Motor
Vehicles
...
(a) Every
person riding a
bicycle,
electric
power-assisted
bicycle or
moped upon
a roadway shall
be subject to
the provisions
of this chapter
applicable to
...
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Updated: 07/05/2006
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