SUSTAINABLE ELECTRIC BIKING
Go ahead. Park your bike in the sun. This new SOLAR BIKE soaks up the rays and stores them as power that can move you at up to 30 mph. It’s battery powered but needs no plugs and is an innovative and sustainable alternative to the electric bike.

It is forecast that about 350,000 electric bicycles will be sold to customers in the United States by 2015 and, Asia and Europe are counted among the most important market for e-bikes. Sales of e-bikes has grown steadily each year in Europe from 98,000 units in 2006 to 588,000 units in 2010.

The NY Times reports that it all began in China where an estimated 120 million electric bicycles now hum along the roads, up from a few thousand in the 1990s. They are replacing traditional bikes and motorcycles at a rapid clip and, in many cases, allowing people to avoid purchasing cars.

While countries in the Asia Pacific region will continue to account for the vast majority of E-Bike sales in the next several years, the fastest growth will occur in the Middle East (54% CAGR), Latin America (30%), and North America (24%).

Examples from Electric Bicycle Guide:

• India – 700,000 e-bike sales by 2011, up 483% from 120,000 in 2008. This is quite impressive given that it had virtually no sales at all in 2007.
• Europe – 2.5 million e-bike sales, up 355% from 550,000.
• United States – 500,000 e-bike sales, up 194% from 170,000. Best Buy began selling electric bicycles in June at 19 stores.
• China – From 2008 to 2011, Chinese e-bike sales are expected to grow by 43% from 21 million to 30 million electric bicycles. China had 56,000 electric bikes in 1998 and it got to 120 million in 12 years.
• Netherlands – A third of the money spent on bicycles last year went to electric-powered models. Similar growth expected in Germany, France and Italy.

Denmark is where this video below was taken showcasing the new Solar Bike by Jesper Frausig of Copenhagen.

View the full listing on GreenBusiness.com.