There is a horrible saying that goes with working in a city and owning a car; Drive to Work, Work to Drive. Unfortunately, this little axiom has a rather grim underbelly. When you consider the statistics – it costs the average car owner over £4000 a year; and in terms of time, that equates to 3 months of work, just to own and run a car! – it becomes increasingly clear why so many are finding alternatives. But look no further:

Bikes are a fantastic place to start. Do away with polluting the Earth and wasting your time, and bring out your bike before setting off to work. If you need more convincing than what you can save in terms of your personal life, then put this in your mind’s eye: for every gallon of petrol used in your car, 20.4 lbs of CO2 emissions will be released into the environment. Still hard to see a clear reason? Well, in the case of sustainable energy use, bicycles are 2/3 more efficient than cars – even if you factor in the energy to produce the extra food the cyclist requires.

There are literally hundreds of essays and articles all brimming with facts on Why we should be taking to the streets on two wheels instead of four, but for those still stuck between the two, who like the idea of the bike ride to work or play, but with a little less pedaling; here at EcoSwitch we have found the perfect solution – and they call it ECO-PED.

The Bike

The ECO-PED is an electric bicycle company which assembles electric motor kits (lithium ion battery) onto lightweight frames, available for sale throughout the UK and online in stores. ECO-PED pride themselves on their reliability and accessible practicability for any customer type, and it shows! The electric bicycle company mount their ECO-PED kits onto a range of user friendly and comfortable bikes, making them a sure thing for those who are still a little unsure. Prices range roughly from £600 to £899. And the kit itself is available to buy if you fancy yourself as a bit of a D.I.Y expert, retailing at £499 inc. VAT.
However, if you already own a bike and was wondering whether or not you’d be able to use an ECO-PED kit to power your favourite two wheels, then take the cycle down to your local dealer and they’ll be able to advise if this is possible – most bikes are fine, and for around £90 service charge you could even have it fitted then and there.

The Benefits

Compact and lightweight, the ECO-PED box is fitted on to the lower seat-stem or inner side of your bike frame, and serves as a perfect sign for the gadget’s efficient and sustainable intent. The range in distance from a fully charged battery is approximately 25 miles travelled (dependant and gradients and weight involved in journey) and is recharged to full power in 4 to 6 hours. Maximum speed from an ECO-PED power kit is around 15mph. And when you consider the average urban bus speed is about 12mph, then this really is a great Eco-solution.
Other specifications include ignition keys for added security; handle bar dials which signal Full, Half and Empty, so you know when to recharge the battery; and a thumb throttle to allow you to feed in the power without pedaling once you are on the move, coasting past all that unnecessary traffic.

ECO-PED bike kits and bicycles are another great way that shows how innovative and intelligent technology is being used to make every day a little greener – as well as a little healthier now too!