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The Week in Germany: Business, Technology and the Environment July 4, 2008 Stuttgart to Launch Electric Bike Share
With gas prices climbing and the threats associated with global warming becoming more apparent, more and more commuters think two wheels look better than four. While cycling is still the lowest cost form of transportation, many commuters cannot make the switch from gas to elbow grease. There is the issue of those pressed shirts, not to mention the general unpleasantness of arriving at the office sweaty and bedraggled. Now the city of Stuttgart has announced plans to rent electric scooters from locations around the city. The idea injects an electric jolt into the bike-sharing programs like Paris' popular Vélib'. The city's government has inked a deal with British firm Ultra Motor to provide the moped-like vehicles. It hopes to have around 1,200 such vehicles ready for rental and covered charging stations located every 500-600 feet around the city in about less than a year. The LEVs can travel up to 37 miles before needing a charge - which takes about 15 minutes - and have been especially engineered to travel up steep hills. Interested users will be able to buy a monthly LEV subscription for 15 euros ($24), which will provide them with rides up to 30 minutes, a fraction of the price for a monthly Stuttgart train pass. While the scooters use more energy than a bicycle, those striving to live green can take comfort in the fact that a trip across town will use less energy than a two-minute shower, according to Ultra Motor. |
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