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"Thank you for your help and patience when I was purchasing my GW-8 electric bike. I am very happy with my choice. Supporting a "green environment" is important to me and my new GWEV is so much fun to ride! I love it." Mary Lou - Vancouver

"I was thrilled to win a GW8 electric bike through the B.E.S.T. raffle during bike month. I LOVE it and am amazed at how quickly I bonded with "Scooty" as I have dubbed her. She is really convenient & fun to do errands on or to zip out on when I don't want to get hot riding my regular bike. As a non car owner, this is the perfect mode of transport for someone like me. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Katherine Harris Vancouver

"I've had my gwev for five months now and I love it! It saves me a tank of gas a month on my local trips. Thanks." Helga, Vancouver

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By TED LATURNUS Globe & Mail Thursday, December 29, 2005 The last time I rode an electric scooter was almost a year ago. That particular model was a 250-watt moped that required pedalling assistance on even modest uphill grades. While I appreciated its 100 per cent clean-running, non-polluting qualities, it was a little shy in the performance department and I clearly remember being seriously frustrated at its lack of reserve power. "What we need here," I said to myself, "is a larger motor."

Enter the EVT 168, retro-styled scooter that has four times the oomph and is actually a useable commuter vehicle that will reach 60 km/h -- and maybe even a bit more downhill or with a tailwind. The EVT 168 is made by the EVT Manufacturing Co. in Taiwan, and from a distance, looks like a Vespa or any other conventional internal combustion-propelled scooter -- it even has a faux gas cap located behind the seat. But tucked away above the rear wheel is a 1,500-watt electric motor that uses a 48-volt battery system and gives the scooter a range of about 40 kilometres. It takes three or four hours to recharge it using conventional 110/220-volt household current and performance is comparable to most of its 49-cc gas-engined counterparts. There's a bonus: the EVT 168 has a maximum carrying capacity of about 150 kilos, which means large people can ride it, and it'll manage a passenger as well. On-board, it's all pretty straightforward. Turn the key, twist the throttle, and away you go. Off the line, the almost-instant torque provided by the electric motor gives roughly the same kind of takeoff power as a conventional scooter, and it reaches its top speed of 60 km/h in fairly short order. Two settings -- Power and Economy -- help manage battery output, and a power gauge lets you know how much juice you've got left. I had my tester out for a couple of hours and brought it back on the last green light. The EVT 168 has an MSRP of $3,645. It means you buy it because you're concerned about exhaust emissions, greenhouse gases, and all the other air-sullying side effects of modern technology, and not because you're looking for a good deal. One thing the EVT 168 does have in common with these two, however, is the fact that you don't need a motorcycle license to operate it. It's classed as a Limited Speed Motorcycle (LSM) by Transport Canada, and you will need a helmet and a regular driver's licence, or learner's permit, but basically, any adult can ride it. It also comes with either a side kick-stand or centre stand, and my test model was equipped with an optional locking rear storage box ($90) and front carrying basket ($22). The EVT 168 is a neat concept. For short neighbourhood trips to the corner store or commuting to work (as long as it's not too far away and provides a recharging source), it does the job effortlessly and with no appreciable performance sacrifice. Stay off the freeways and keep your wits about you, but otherwise, you can keep up with in-town traffic. The EVT 168 is sold in Canada by Green World Electric Vehicles

Da Vinci guy charged about electric bikes

Barry Link Vancouver Courier April 7, 2004

Among a long list of acting credits, Gerard Plunkett plays the chief coroner on Da Vinci's Inquest. With a solid resume Plunkett has won status as a "I just saw that guy on TV last night" character actor about town with proven theatrical chops. So why is he selling electric bicycles and scooters from Green World Electric Vehicles, a new business he opened with his wife at the beginning of April?

"We don't have a choice anymore," Plunkett says during an interview at Green World's Main Street location near 22nd Avenue. "It's not some academic luxury to imagine a clean world. It's got to be done."

He and his wife wanted to open a business they cared about. Electric bicycles and scooters were their choice. They decided early on not to sell conventional scooters alongside the electric models. The two-stroke engines on scooters are notorious polluters and an example of engineering Plunkett believes consumers must leave behind.

"This is a new kind of retailer-a green kind of retailer," he says.

Plunkett predicts that, as knowledge about the effect of vehicle emissions on global climate change spreads, many families will adopt zero-emission models as their second vehicle.

Green World sells sleek-looking power-assisted bicycles manufactured in China according to Transport Canada specifications. Users have the option of pedalling as much as they want with the bikes. If they're tired, want to take a break or face a hill, turning the handle throttle adds up to 30 kilometres an hour from a small electric motor. There are no gears to worry about and pedal intensity is constant.

The bicycles require neither licenses nor insurance and include electric lights, horns, visual and audible turn signals and safety and security features such as ignition keys, power switches and a three-second delay on the throttle. Power for the motor is provided by a rechargeable battery that can be plugged into a regular electrical outlet, a procedure Plunkett describes as easy and routine as charging up a cell phone.

A single charge lasts approximately 45 kilometres, and each recharge adds roughly 25 cents to your Hydro bill. A typical battery sustains 300 recharges before it needs to be replaced. Plunkett notes the old batteries can be recycled.

Prices for Green World models run from $1,000 to $1,600.

By the summer, Green World hopes to be selling a full line of scooters, which Plunkett believes will appeal to young women and students looking for a cheap, quiet and easy mode of transportation. Plunkett says all their vehicles are ideal for the city environment, which is why they located the business on Main for what could be Plunkett's most ambitious role yet: meeting a growing local demand for easy and non-polluting transportation.

"We choose Main Street because of the urban setting," he says. "This is where these vehicles belong."

Green World Electric Vehicles, located at 3825 Main Street. More information is at gwev.com 604-879-4559 or info@gwev.com