Enter the era of the electric cruiser. So called “e-bikes” are a sweet way to say goodbye to sweet crude. They might cost a little more, but they’ll keep you from jumping in the car to get groceries.

At a recent bike show there were at least a dozen companies with strong offerings in the electric bicycle category. There was even an electric unicycle with a very nervous product tester perched on top. But it was the Kilowatt Electric Cruisers that stole the show. Kilowatt is a wonderful example of an emerging trend that has both style and quality. Gone are the days of the awkward looking electric bike; Kilowatt has incorporated a unique frame, a bitchin’ triple-tree fork (to handle the extra torque) and a paint job that has to be seen in person to be believed.

As if cruising wasn’t chill to begin with, add a motor and some juice and you might consider losing the car all together. Just flip a switch, push a button and you’re up and moving. Within a few seconds you’re riding along at 20 mph. Depending on the terrain, your stature and your fondness for burnouts, expect to squeeze 30-50 miles out of one complete charge. And the battery should last for 1,500 charges, or about 5 years, before it needs to be replaced.

Richard Kraatz, Kilowatt Bikes Owner/Founder, talks about the inspiration that led to its current lineup: “It’s a fun way to get cars off the road.” Kraatz saw that the booming e-bike market in Europe was lacking in style. “They were all grey step-through models.” Kilowatt Bikes adds some much-needed styling into the e-bike scene with its cruiser line.

The Kilowatt Cruiser offers a smooth ride with a quiet motor that has the guts to get you up steep hills without breaking a sweat. As gas prices bounce back up, electric bicycles are going to move from novelty to necessity. Not to mention, they’re a blast to ride.