The first patent was granted on December 31, 1895 to Ogden Bolton Jr. His invention was a rear wheel mounted battery-powered bicycle. Fellow inventors of the era refined the concept with various versions and models. And while the e-bike continued to find support in the ensuing years, it languished on the sidelines, showing limited growth. It was shelved for a lengthy period until major industries got involved in the 1990s. Yamaha built an early prototype electric bicycle in 1993 and later created the pedalassist concept. Popularity soared with increased production and today the e-bike is a booming business.

“At Dunbar Cycles we do a lot of electric mountain bikes as well. Many riders look to enjoy the descent more by taking the long climb out of the ride, and as well there are lots of new riders purchasing electric mountain bikes who are trying to keep up with more experienced friends or just trying to get as many laps in as possible after work.” Noting that the customer base spans all generations, Loewen sees an ever-increasing ownership base of people utilizing the e-bike as a primary method of transportation. One such commuter is District of North Vancouver Councilor Jordan Back, whose primary motivation was to become less dependent on an automobile and the ensuing associated costs, and also for esthetic reasons and environmental concerns.

“I feel that all of us living on this beautiful planet have a duty to do what we can to reduce our carbon footprint wherever we can, and driving less is certainly one way to do it,” says Back. “I have always been someone who rides bikes, mostly for competition, so the idea of getting a bit of exercise just by running errands, travelling to the office or doing any of the other short trips that I would have otherwise used my car for was quite appealing to me.” As a sitting Councilor, Back commutes from North Vancouver to his Burnaby office.

His commute encompasses roughly 40km. He also uses this mode of transport in the majority of his travels. “I use the e-bike about 75% of the time and would probably use it closer to 100% if I didn’t need to travel as far as I do for meetings. I now have a “car light” lifestyle and the times I have to put gas in the tank are few and far between. My commute is so much fun now — and how many people can say that? My route takes me through a couple of neighbourhood parks as well as along an urban trail and a multi-use path, where I find myself greeting some of the same people every day.

The fresh air and exercise are also the perfect way to reset my day between home and work.” So who exactly is the typical or median consumer of e-bikes? “It really does span all types of people,” says Loewen. “As technologies are becoming more developed and battery ranges increase, e-bikes are becoming more common for working professionals using them to commute to work. When e-bikes were first released they were mostly just a standard cruiser or commuter bike that was designed to hold a battery and a motor in the rear wheel.

Now as technologies have been developed, e-bikes are becoming part of any brand’s line-up, batteries have become more integrated and motors are connected to the cranks. Lately, a few brands have been releasing ‘lightweight’ e-bikes containing a smaller motor and battery, decreasing the range but increasing the rideability of the bike, making them feel very similar to a non-electric bicycle underneath you.”