E-bikes can benefit the commuters and environment

TS,Tuesday 16 November, 2010 

I refer to the letter “Reduce price of e-bikes for the poor” (The Star, Nov 15) and concur that ordinary folks should have easy access to motorised transport. 

The authorities here should tap on the writer’s experience in using an electric bicycle (pic) for commuting to work in Shanghai as the rakyat is entitled to something good and practical. 

There are now over 120 million e-bikes in China with more than 20 million sold annually. 

We must explore ways to allow battery-assisted bicycles to be on certain roads or at specific times to promote their usage. 

However, comparing the prices of e-bikes with electric motorcycles is like comparing an apple with a watermelon. 

Both may look green but they are quite different altogether. 

The made-in-Malaysia electric motorcycles are based on normal petrol-engine scooters and the difference in price lie mainly on the type of battery used. 

One manufacturer chose the more affordable lead acid nano gel battery while another prefers nothing less than the lithium ion polymer battery which can power the scooter past 100kph. 

Asking a local motorcycle to develop its own technology on such batteries and sell to China, which is already a world leader, in this field would be impractical. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur