Friday, January 8, 2010

China Threatens To Slam Brakes On Price Of Lead

E-bikes were a feature of the Beijing Olympic Games last year, but reclassifying some of them as motorcycles will have an impact far beyond sales figures

From Times Online:

After a surge of more than 125 per cent, the price of lead ends the year in limbo — its future at the mercy of Chinese bureaucracy, the stroke of a pen and the legal status of 100 million electric bicycles.

The cycles in question, known as “e-bikes”, are battery-enhanced machines that are the darlings of the modern, urban Chinese. More than 20 million were sold this year, putting a vast army of commuters, unable to afford cars or motorcycles — and without licences — on the roads at a sedate maximum speed of 12 km/h (7½ mph).

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