Power cycling

A cyclist “all my life”, Michael Tritt has long been interested in sustainability.

You could call him a “greenie”, since he has a masters on environmentally conscious consumers and he has worked for Greenpeace NZ.

So it’s natural Tritt should be among three directors in ElectrifyNZ, a rapidly expanding micro-EV business selling and servicing electric bicycles.

He rides one himself, and even tows seven-year-old son Bryce between home and school on it using a special bike attachment.

Tritt reckons e-bikes are among the most sustainable forms of transport available, and a growing list of customers share that philosophy.

“I realised this was the future,” Tritt says about taking up the business two-and-a-half years ago.

Many customers aren’t just buying them for environmental reasons either.

“For some it’s a practical and economic way of getting from A to B,” Tritt says. Other pluses are avoiding traffic congestion, especially in cities like Auckland where more shared paths or dedicated cycle lanes are coming all the time.

And you can get fit on an e-bike, especially if you use it several times a week. Most have pedal assist which can use the electric power to get up slopes.

So getting over hills, powering into head winds, covering reasonable distances in good time, and avoiding a sweat are among other e-bike positives.

In fact, some people who have both a pedal-power only bike and an e-bike use the e-bike more, Tritt says.

Customers tend to be in the 50 plus years age group, but Tritt believes younger users are cottoning on too.

He reckons more e-bikes are sold here than electric vehicles (EVs), although official figures are hard to find.

E-bikes can reach speeds around 30kmh to 40kmh, can cover good distances (often about 50km) on one charge, and are easy to park and store.

They require only normal bicycle servicing – usually for the chain, tyres and brakes.

You can find out yourself, as ElectrifyNZ offers free trials that you can book online.

Tritt has four main e-bike brands in stock – the Magnum from the USA, Kreidler from Germany, Bottecchia from Italy and now the Gepida from Europe.

Prices range from around $2500 to $6500 – close to what a quality pedal-powered road cycle is worth.

As the popularity of e-bikes grows, so too is ElectrifyNZ expanding its operations.

It has a base in Scotland Street in Auckland city and distributes e-bikes from a Hamilton warehouse to 25 independent dealers throughout New Zealand.

That number of dealers is about to increase with people sought in selected locations to operate under licence. Dunedin now has one and Tritt expects more retail outlets to be available within the next three months.

Tritt says he mainly took up the e-bike business to “get more people out of cars”.

He also wants to see more children bike to school – like he did. That way kids avoid obesity issues and get fit and healthy. “But first you have to get the parents on board and riding bikes.”

As for the ElectrifyNZ’s future, Tritt says while the focus is on e-bikes there may be other forms of micro-EVs to come.

Visit electrify.nz

or phone 09 889 2019 for more.