Australia e-bike sales surge as Australia petrol price rises bite
While e-bike dealers are reporting a surge in business and riders are stuck on the bowser, a growing number of Australians are opting for electric solutions to the fuel crisis.
Unprecedented fuel insecurity caused by war in the Middle East has led to a “tremendous” increase in e-bike interest, prompting individual and family users to seek alternative modes of transport as the conflict enters its sixth week, according to Cycling Industry Australia managing director Peter Bourke.
Conrad Pattinson, co-founder of Vamos Electric Bikes in Marrickville, has noticed e-bike sales rising steadily throughout the conflict as customers focus on making a purchase as gas prices soar.
Pattinson, who found that March sales were the best of the whole year, but there was no explosion in trade during Covid, said, “We definitely caught the increase in demand.”
“We carry most of the bikes that are better for transporting families… Sales of these bikes have been increasing since the price of oil went up.”
Limecycling in Sydney’s CBD, eastern suburbs and inner west saw a 10 per cent weekly increase in the first two weeks of March. Will Peters, Head of Asia Pacific, found rental e-bikes make a “real difference” for those looking for an affordable and accessible method of transportation.
Trek Bicycle Sydney sales leader Edreece Derwash observed an “interesting” increase in demand for e-bikes last month, but noted customers were also spurred on by a sale as fuel pressure intensified.
Bourke said sales accelerated as it became clear that the price shocks caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz would continue in the short term.
“It took a few weeks for people to realize that the price increase wasn’t going to be a one- or two-week thing,” he said. “That’s when the stores started seeing a lot more foot traffic.”
One such retailer is 99 Bikes South Melbourne bike shops, where e-bike sales have nearly quadrupled in recent weeks, manager Jake Shaw said.
“When (gasoline) prices hit $2.50 (per liter), we had an immediate jump in sales,” Shaw said.
proliferation of high-powered e-bikes pressured governments to put pressure on group trips performed by young riders. NSW government to ban 16-year-olds fascinated by e-bikesand joins Victoria in pushing for national e-bike safety standards.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Wednesday he expected fuel imports to remain “well” stable next month, as suggested by the Albanian government. financial support to private companies increase fuel imports and Wants agreement with Asian countries to protect fuel supply contracts.
Fuel savings of 32 cents per liter from federal, state and territory governments have provided some relief at the pump, where prices fell last week. The average price of regular unleaded petrol in NSW was $2.25 a liter on Wednesday, down 26 cents from last week.
About 3 per cent of Australian service stations were left without diesel on Wednesday. There are 124 retailers in NSW that do not have diesel, while 27 have no fuel at all.
The Australian fuel industry has warned drivers about oil prices, which have been high for a long time.
from AAP
Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously ran The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s national news live blog.Connect via email.
