The Cork dealership offering novel new trade-ins... your car for an electric bike

A CORK car dealership is offering electric bikes in exchange for used cars.

City View Wheels in Sunday's Well is offering a unique trade-in for the eco-conscious Corkonian.

The first trade-in happened on Friday, November 22. A 2006 Lexus iS 250 was traded against a Kreidler Vitality Eco 2 Electric Bike.

Patrick Murray of City View Wheels says the trade-in is a new endeavour for the company.

"We should have thought of it sooner considering we also sell cars at City View Wheels, but I’m very glad we are doing it now," he told The Echo.

"We are trading in cars against our electric bikes to make it easier for people to make the change.

"We think that some two-car families or households would change one of their cars for an electric bike and we are trying to make it as easy as possible to make the switch.

"If the value of the trade-in car is higher than the cost of the electric bike being purchased, City View Wheels will issue a cheque to the customer for the difference."

The electric bikes on offer in the store are German brands Kreidler and Kalkhoff. They start retailing at €1,799 and come with a two-year warranty.

The Blarney Street car dealership started selling these electric bikes in 2010. 

Mr Murray says they have been selling well.

"Every year since 2010 we have seen a modest increase in our sales, 10% to 15% year on year.

"People are going back cycling for a myriad of reasons. Health and fitness, to lose weight, to commute daily without spending hours stuck in traffic, to improve their carbon footprint and of course for economic reasons."

Mr Murray believes more people would return to cycling if the city has better infrastructure.

"People would return in larger numbers to cycling in Cork if they could do it with a degree of safety.

"They are frightened of competing with buses, trucks and cars for the same space on our city streets.

"Cork City Council must address this problem and must install segregated cycle lanes so that people of Cork City can commute in safety.

"It's a basic right for the citizens of a progressive city like Cork."