MONTREAL — Urban commuters are increasingly turning to electric scooters for city travel, and the burgeoning trend for the environmentally friendly vehicles has caused dealerships to sprout across the country.

Sales have increased "with a very good acceleration," says Steve Miloshev, president of Greenwit Technologies, a British Columbia-based company specialized in the design, engineering and manufacturing of light electric vehicles.

"It's quite a bit different compared to a couple of years ago."

Miloshev, who has sold the Motorino electric scooters through E-Ride subsidiary dealerships since 2003, said his franchise network increased by 50 per cent last year. He estimates his company sold almost 1,000 units in Canada in 2008 across 25 franchises throughout B.C. and Ontario.

He recently sent his first shipment to the United States for East Coast distribution and plans to expand into California and Florida.

"Based on our sales, I would say there's a trend," he said, citing high gas prices and environmental concerns for the rise in demand.

"The third factor is that it's very practical," Miloshev said. "My customers bypass heavy traffic and scooters are faster than public transportation."

The scooters, which sell for between $1,800 and $2,000, are limited to 32 km/h and have a range of about 50 kilometres. Transport Canada classifies them as power-assisted bicycles, so they can be used on bike paths and don't require a driver's licence to operate.

Jo-Anne Farquhar, director of communications and public affairs for the Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council, agreed that scooters are fast becoming an attractive urban lifestyle choice.

"Scooter sales are up a significant amount," she said.

"There has been an increase in popularity throughout Canada. In your urban areas, the convenience and the flexibility, along with the fuel crisis were all factors in their popularity."

Council statistics suggest scooter sales spiked 22 per cent between June 2007 and June 2008.

David Goldmann, who owns the Ecomoto store in Montreal, said he began selling the vehicles last October after falling in love with his Vespa-lookalike EVT-brand electric scooter, designed by the Vancouver-based Ecodrive Technology Group.

"This is sexy, it's stylish," he said from his booth at Montreal's recent International Auto Show, where he was squeezed in between the latest hybrid sedans, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.

"If you sex up electricity, people go for it."

His clients range from 14- to 80-years-old, he said, with a significant percentage being environmentally savvy couples who live in dense urban neighbourhoods where parking is a constant concern.

The scooters, which reach speeds of 60km/h and can travel up to 60 kilometres on a single charge, retail between $3,700 and $5,000 depending on the model. Because the EVT scooters reach higher speeds, Transport Canada classifies them as low-speed vehicles. They also have to meet the same safety requirements as gasoline-powered scooters.

Beyond practicality, low cost is one of their main benefits.

Miloshev said he's seen many families give up their second car in exchange for an electric scooter because they offer similar convenience while saving on insurance, parking, maintenance and gas.

Both EVT and Motorino scooters plug into a regular electrical outlet and a full battery charge costs about six to eight cents.

"A toonie would pay for a whole month," said Miloshev, adding that the batteries only need to be changed every couple of years.

Still, only a small percentage of Miloshev's clients use the scooter as their main form of transportation -- about 15 per cent, he said.

One of the scooter's drawbacks is its limited range: you need to measure and plan your route in advance so you're not stranded halfway home with a dead battery.

But Goldmann said it's all part of learning to adapt to new technologies.

"It's about choices," he said.

"Not one is perfect. We have to choose ones that are better for the planet. Your heart has to be in the right place, you have to want to change the world. The bottom line is: to get from the power station to your house, it doesn't pollute."

Transportation accounts for 25 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions - three-quarters of it from road traffic, according to government statistics.

The federal government recently began a push toward cleaner vehicles, although Transport Canada maintains strict standards on those vehicles for safety reasons.

Provinces, not the federal government, determine whether a particular class of vehicle is allowed on their roadways. Many scooters fall under the classification of limited-speed motorcycles.

In Quebec, the government began allowing low-speed vehicles on some roads last July.

British Columbia passed legislation last year that allows low-speed vehicles to be driven on 40 km/h roadways with provisions that permit municipalities to enact bylaws allowing the vehicles to travel on higher speed roads.

As part of its eco-technology for vehicles program, Transport Canada has also been testing electricity-powered motorcycles like the Vectrix, a zero-emission electric motorcycle which can reach speeds of 100 km/h.