When National Motorsports introduced its “Green Zone” concept during a dealer meeting in Abbotsford, B.C. last year, company reps were met with blank stares and crossed arms. “After an hour of listening to exactly what this means, they all started to realize it is time to wake up,” says Kent Aubichon, who owns the Montreal-based Daelim and Hyosung distributor along with his partner, Stephen Simkovits.

The Green Zone concept is all about capitalizing on the next generation of two-wheeled transportation users by creating an eco-friendly corner of a dealership to feature vehicles like – are you ready for this? – electric bicycles. No, it’s not typical, but with a good portion of the country sitting on the recessionary fence, there’s little to be lost from thinking outside the box. Power assisted electric bikes are the clean, eco-friendly transportation people are looking for, says Simkovits, and along side electric scooters and mopeds, the idea appeals to a market share that some dealers believe is becoming absolutely essential.

“These are new consumers you are bringing in, “says Aubichon. “It’s not the black t-shirts and tattoos; you’re attracting the granola crowd—people that wouldn’t normally set foot in a dealership because it’s not part of their vocabulary.”

National Motorsports is distributing Urban Mover (headquartered in England) power-assisted electric bicycles, with North America-specific features such as a top speed of 32 km/h, an on-off switch for the motor, an economy mode (power switch) that maximizes distance, and an optional throttle kit.

Three models will be available in Canada: the UM26 with fully-folding Dahon® frame, telescopic handlebars, front and rear suspension with 20-inch tires; and men’s and women’s hybrid models – the UM44S and UM44SL. The hybrids feature 26-inch tires, comfort gel saddles, and VPAC (variable pedal assisted controller) with 3 LED torque sensors. All bicycles come with standard Kenda® puncture-resistant tires. They feature Panasonic® lithium ion batteries capable of up to 1000 recharge cycles.

As of July, National Motorsports will also be offering the 2010 models of the 110S E-Max scooter, a high-end, Germanengineered electric scooter with a 4000 watt, 13” brushless hub motor, variable PCM speed control, hydraulic floating front and rear disc brakes, and a silicone (gel) battery. “You never hear of adjustable pre-load coil spring suspension on a 49 cc scooter, but this one has it,” says Aubichon. “If you put this into any BMW bike shop, the consumer wouldn’t know the difference; it’s that high end.”

Bringing the Green Zone to life can be as simple as a ten by ten foot piece of green Astroturf, manufacturer display materials, and some signage, says Simkovits, which is pretty much what Ames Motorsports in Edmonton, AB has done. “We already had green carpet, so it’s actually just a matter of a display and clearing out a corner,” says general sales manager, Hugh Gouthro, who sees green transportation as more than an environmental move.

“We aren’t rabid environmentalists here, but we are good business people and going green is very good business,” he says. “We aren’t rutted in the past. When we see market swings and attitude swings we aim our marketing that way.”

Ames’ Green Zone will include the Urban Mover bikes, E-Max Scooters, and fuel-efficient Hyosung mopeds. He says dealers who run with the Green Zone concept won’t be saving the world in one day, but they will be doing their part while making and saving money. “Electric is going to be big,” he says.

Emax scooters and Urban Mover electric bikes are available now from National Motorsports. Visit www.urban-mover.ca or www.e-max-scooter.ca for product information, or call National Motorsports at 877.631.9292. CPT