Atmosphere Electric Bike Centre in Hotwells is celebrating as commuters swap expensive petrol-guzzling cars for battery-powered bikes.

The new generation can travel up to 90 miles, take just four hours and 4p to charge before the owner can slip through traffic jams and glide up Bristol's hills.

Centre owner Alistair McHardy, 51, said: "We launched two years ago and now the credit crunch, along with soaring oil prices, has helped boost sales by 50 per cent this year."

A major boost for Alistair's business has been the £50 million Lottery jackpot given to Bristol-based Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity and another £11.4m Bristol City Council has been given by the Government to help transform Bristol into the country's first Cycling City.

At the same time, employers who sign up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme enable their staff to save nearly half the price of a new bike and pay for it through their pay packet.

Alistair stocks nine different electric bike ranges and with 10 in each range there is plenty of choice.

They have batteries small enough to slip into water bottle holders and some have a range of 90 miles between charges.

Although they have a legal speed limit of 15.6 miles-an-hour and you have to be 14 years-old to ride one, they are soaring in popularity. The cheapest electric model at £179, is an off-road bike, which has a range of about 20 miles.

Bristol commuters love the fold-up version for £599, while women pick wicker basket models from £500 and enthusiasts can splash out on a top-of-the range German machine for £2,700.