electric-bicycle: a euphimism for motorcycle

This is not exactly what we mean by "carfree", is this? Shall I assume that there is a typo on page 22 of the last Carbusters magazine issue (no 41)?

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May 13th 2010 | From The Economist print edition
Pedestrians beware

PEDESTRIANS in China are often terrorised by electric bicycles zipping along the country's pavements. China's authorities, too, seem to have been caught unawares by an industry that, like the bikes themselves, has emerged speedily and stealthily from the shadows: local output grew from a few thousand bikes a year less than a decade ago to more than 22m last year, along with millions of kits to turn ordinary bicycles into electric ones. Annual sales have reached about $11 billion. The government is suddenly paying attention--but its urge to regulate is pulling it in two different directions.

More and more Chinese cyclists, it seems, would like a battery and motor to turn the wheels for them. Production of ordinary bicycles, which peaked in 2006 at nearly 80m units, has since fallen by more than 25%.

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But the government is threatening to put a legislative spoke in the industry's wheels. Until recently there were few laws regulating electric bikes: they do not need to be registered, nor do their drivers need a licence. Unsurprisingly, the 120m bikes in use are involved in a growing number of accidents. Almost 2,500 electric-bike-related deaths were recorded in 2007. At night pedestrians are at particular risk, because many e-cyclists drive without lights to save power. More than a dozen cities have introduced restrictions of one sort or another. In theory, the government has limited electric bikes' top speed to 20kph (12mph), but in practice most can go much faster.

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whole article:
http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=16117106



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