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Electric bicycles have witnessed a boost in sales recently in Brazil, despite the country's weakening economy. With a fully charged battery, the bikes can travel at an average speed of 30 kilometers an hour for 35 kilometers. The bikes are also a good transportation tool as commuters can travel faster from one point to another, despite the jammed traffic. In addition, it is eco-friendly and gasoline-free. The city mayor Eduardo Paes who also uses an e-bike, said that electric bikes should be considered a normal means of transportation. "Cities all over the world are jammed with traffic, so this is a good solution. I mean, if people can go around with electric bikes, life in the cities are gonna be much easier, so we are gonna support it a lot," said Paes. A recent research shows that if economic growth continues, sales of electric bikes should surpass 47 million units by 2018. In Brazil, the Lev brand has increased its sales by a surprising 200 percent in one year. Bruno Affonso entered the industry with his brother in 2010. After living in China for three years, where an estimated total of more than 120 million e-bikes are being used by commuters, Affonso saw a potential market for electric bikes in Brazil. The made-in China bikes are imported to South America. "We opened this first shop, I believe, in March of 2010. Right now we have nine stores across the country, and the idea is to open one every month or two," said Affonso. However, electric bikes in Brazil are not cheap. High import taxes combined with the fact that the bikes are still a novelty have brought retail prices up to nearly 1,400 dollars. ◆ 追蹤更多華視影音及圖文新聞：
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