Oleander Cycles has introduced an environmentally friendly e-bike to the island.

The Bewegen is pedal-controlled rather than throttle-controlled.

Oleander has imported 60 of the e-bikes, and plans to increase the fleet to 100 by next summer.

Lawrence Gibbons, the sales and service manager at Oleander, said: “We wanted something that was a little different and also better for the environment as an electric bike.

“They are not actually fully electric; they are pedal-assist, and so you still have to work for it, but it gives you an extra boost.”

The e-bikes are available on a membership basis for durations of 30 minutes ($10), four hours ($45) and eight hours ($75).

A monthly membership ($199), geared towards island residents, is also available.

The four and eight-hour passes allow riders to change bikes, meaning they can pick up new, fully charged bikes as the day progresses.

A fully charged bike will travel 52 kilometres, or for about 3½ hours, Mr Gibbons said.

To access an e-bike, riders download an app from the App Store or Google Play, select a membership plan, check the app’s map to determine where bikes are available, travel to that location, and then hit “unlock bike” — and take the bike out of its docking station. A helmet is on the bike.

Pushing a bike into one of the ten docking stations island-wide, to be increased to 14 by year-end, ends a ride at which time renters receive an e-mail letting them know the charge to their credit or debit card.

The app also tells riders how many calories they have burnt, and what their carbon footprint savings have been.

Mr Gibbons said the docking station return was a particular selling point for the Bewegen.

He added: “It keeps everything clean and neat — it stops ‘scooter litter’.”

Bewegen e-bikes can be picked up from Oleander locations at Hamilton, Paget, St George, Dockyard, Cambridge Beaches, Grotto Bay, Pompano Beach, The Reefs, Tucker’s Point and Newstead Belmont Hills.