Electric bike, an alternative to the traffic

I live in a big city and everyday I have to deal with the problem of the traffic. As I work in the centre of the city, the situation I must face is dramatic. I am therefore considering whether the purchase of an electric bike may be the ideal solution.
I am more and more persuading that an electric bike may represent a useful answer for those are looking for an easy mean to go around the city. In addition, the electric bike kelps your fitness because a regular use means regular exercise for the rider.

Electric bikes usually are equipped by a little electric motor, provided by a rechargeable battery pack (usually integrated into the frame). Main advantages are hills climbing, luggage capacity and the confidence that you would not arrive at work (or at your favourite bar) sweating. The electric motor to substitute your pedalling but to assist it.
The market offers now many types of electric bikes, divided in two main categories:

1. E-bikes These electric bikes have a throttle on the handlebar, so that you can determine how much help the motor has to provide you.
2. Pedelecs These electric bikes have a sensor on the pedals that measures how much effort you are putting in and decides the quantity of help you need

I would like to underline that electric bikes are legally considered as bicycles. This means that you will not pay road tax, insurance, MOT or license plates. This is the reason why electric bikes have been limited by law to a maximum speed of 15mph (when motor works, even if you can go faster than this if you want, pedalling, of course).

The motor power has been limited at 200W (250W for an electric tricycle). At present, this is the regulation in the UK, although there is the possibility that E-bikes would follow the same regulations as mopeds. To ride legally these bikes on UK roads you must be over 14. If your concern is sweating an electric bike eliminates this problem, you have just to decide how much power you need from the motor to keep a cruise speed that does not make you sweat. You will therefore arrive at work in perfect order.

Another advantage is that an electric bike helps saving energy, because the energy needed to move these bikes is enormously lower than what a car needs, decreasing at the same time pollution.

In conclusion, if you are interested in purchasing an electric bike my advice is to search on Internet, where you can compare different models and prices and, once decided, you can buy an electric bike very quickly and saving some money as well.

Here are some examples of electric bikes: