Photo Gallery The Electric Pedal
Pedelecs, as they're known, from the Dutch company, Sparta: Out of the million bicycles sold in Holland in 2007, around 110,000 were electric bikes.
Nicely camouflaged: The lithium-ion battery powering this electric Sparta cycle is hidden inside the frame. No one will ever know you're cheating.
A pedelec from the German company Kalkhoff: It's estimated 30,000 electric bicycles are sold in Germany each year. Growth rates of at least 50 percent are expected in the market.
On your bike: On average, buyers of pedelecs are aged in their mid-50s -- an age when personal pedal power is decreasing and purchasing power is on the rise. But cycle manufacturers expect that to change with the introduction of faster, sportier models.
No license required: Stay under a 25 kilometer (16mph) speed limit and you won't need a license or a helmet.
An engine that gives back: Pedal an electric bicycle, like this Ion model by Sparta, harder and the electric motor responds with more power.
Climb aboard: Customers can configure the colors on this peppy little pedelec bike, also by Sparta, online.
Design it yourself: Innovations like personalized colors and speedier models, that will move at up to 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph), are bound to expand the electric bike's potential audience.
