Zoomi Life

It’s no secret Detroit’s not a great place to live right now. The recession, which has affected the entire country, has been particularly hard on Detroit’s auto industry. American auto giants Ford, GM and Chrysler are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, and not even the recent auto bailout guarantees that they’ll recover. And it’s certainly not doing much good to all the Detroit-area businesses whose profits are suffering due to the economic domino effect of Big Auto’s troubles.

One Detroit-area company, however, has found themselves a profitable niche amidst the maelstrom - selling electric vehicles. Eco Wheelz, a personal electric vehicle retailer and online store started and run by entrepreneur Jeremy Panizzoli and located in Plymouth, MI has been enjoying steadily growing sales of their personal electric vehicles. “Traffic continues to grow at our new retail store,” said Jeremy. “Surprisingly, most people aren’t even aware that these products exist. But as the word spreads, we’re seeing growing interest as more and more people become educated about the advantages of electric-powered bikes and scooters.”

And it makes sense. Electric vehicles aren’t just eco-friendly, they’re also economical. It costs about $599 to purchase a starter e-bike, which then costs pennies to recharge straight from a wall outlet. That same bike will give you the ability go travel at over 20mph with a 20 mile range - and let you pedal home if you run out of juice. And for a lot of people, that makes good economic sense. “With fear and uncertainty in the air, consumers are looking for ways to cutback. It’s likely many people will be forced to give up their car or search for new ways to save money. Electric bikes provide an excellent alternative and can help struggling families (or individuals) during tough economic times. As the economy continues to suffer, its likely people will continue to search for ways to cut expenses. It’s our job to make sure they know about our products and the bikes will sell themselves,” said Panizzoli.

Only time will tell if personal electric vehicles become adopted en-masse in the US. They’ve been popular for years in places like Europe and Asia, and the U.S. market for e-bikes continues to grow. Even with a struggling economy, 2009 is expected to be a record year for electric bike sales in the U.S., with projections of 170,000 units. If the numbers are any indication, it might only be a matter of time before electric bicycles and electric mopeds become a ubiquitous presence on U.S. streets.