GAS stations are almost foreign territory for Ian Walker. Prices climb to record highs — $1.99 per litre one day, more than $2 the next — and Walker cruises by, unaffected.

He’s one of a growing number of Manitobans who’ve shifted their feet from gas pedals to the footholds of electric bikes and scooters.

“If we’re going long distances, the e-bike is amazing,” Walker, 41, said. “I’ve found the e-bike is replacing car trips.”

He’s cycled his Urban Arrow to Birds Hill Provincial Park. One “wickedly windy” May day, he loaded his son in the bike’s front basket and trekked him to a birthday party a half hour’s ride away.

“It would’ve been way too much work on a conventional bike,” Walker said.

He’ll adjust the bike’s motor to work in tandem with him as he lugs equipment to his Grade 3 classroom, as he comes home from a grocery store and as he battles weather conditions.

Walker isn’t new to the e-bike industry — he’s been a rider for two years — but the number of people joining him has skyrocketed in tandem with the rising cost of fuel.

“It’s been explosive,” said Michael Pasquali, president of the Canadian Electric Bike Association.

Governments don’t track the number of e-bike users, so growth rates are anecdotal, Pasquali said. Still, the association has noted a sharp uptick in the past months by talking with Canadian shop owners.

“With gas prices, obviously, it’s put a big crunch on people,” Pasquali said.

A typical e-bike charge costs about 10 to 25 cents, he said. Owners plug their bikes’ lithium batteries into electrical outlets; Walker’s bike takes four hours to recharge.

It’s a roughly $3 to $5 increase to the monthly Hydro bill, depending on the rider, Pasquali said. A typical e-bike charge has a distance of 30 to 60 kilometres, he said. “There are not many things you can invest in today that’s going to pay for itself as quickly as an e-bike,” he said.

The two-wheelers can range from around $1,000 to upwards of $15,000.

Woodcock Cycle Works on St. Mary’s Road has more than doubled the number of e-bike sales this year compared to last, owner Tim Woodcock said.

“In Canada, we’re just hitting the point where they’re becoming more recognized,” Woodcock said.

He’ll take his down city streets, along gravel floodway paths and through grassy plains. He might bump the bike’s motor to a higher setting, meaning it does more work and he doesn’t break a sweat.

En route home, Woodcock might choose eco-mode to “get more of a workout.” E-bikes in Manitoba have a maximum speed of 32 km/h.

Kevin McLaren sold five electric bikes in 2017, his first year of bringing them to market through More Than Bikes. This summer, he might sell five in a week.

“Once the gas started hitting $2, the demand for bikes picked up,” McLaren said.

So has the desire for electric scooters.

“The high-end ones we’ve sold more of — a lot more than we did last year,” McLaren said.

Then, More Than Bikes sold more scooters in the $2,000 to $2,500 range, he said. This year, models costing $4,000 to $6,000 are more popular.

“(Customers) went with bigger batteries so they could get a farther range,” he said.

Gas-powered scooters, known as mopeds, have also entered the spotlight.

Jennifer Abel swapped her Kia Niro for a canary yellow Vespa to get around Virden, her home community.

“The thought of driving an entire summer on likely about $50 for gas is very appealing,” Abel said.

The 49-year-old said she bought the Vespa to celebrate her 50th birthday, but the gas savings are a major perk. The tank fills up — with premium gas — for less than $15, Abel said.

“I’ve driven 35 km on it so far and it hasn’t even come off ‘F,’ (for full)” she said.

She didn’t need a new licence — the vehicle has a top speed of 50 km/h, and her Class 5 driver’s licence is sufficient. However, she needed to get a licence plate and basic insurance.