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Unless you've been living in a cave somewhere, you probably know by now that Canada is going green.

At least, that's what Prime Minister Steven Harper would have us believe. Whether Harper's recent green initiatives are just politics isn't for me to say, but, among other things, more generous tax rebates for fuel-efficient cars and penalties for those that aren't are in the cards for Canadian consumers.

No word yet on whether the government's largesse extends to two-wheeled vehicles, however, but if you really want to make an environmental statement, there is nothing greener or less noxious than a battery-powered scooter. About the only thing more environmentally correct is a bicycle.

And there are more and more battery-powered scooters, motorcycles and hybrids available to Canadian consumers these days.

There seems to be a mini tsunami of alternate transportation models coming out of Asia — mainly Taiwan and China. But some Canadian companies are starting to appear as well; one of them being Greenwit Technologies, which is headquartered in Vancouver and markets a range of electric scooters and bikes that are — or soon will be — sold across Canada.

Although most of its products are built in Taiwan and China, Greenwit designs many of the electrical components in its Vancouver facility. "It's simple economics," explains Steve Miloshev, president and owner of Greenwit. "In China, workers earn six dollars a day. In Canada, you must pay people at least $15 an hour. I would like to do everything here, but it's impossible. So, yes, China is our main supplier, but we're looking at India as well."

Greenwit currently has 10 models in its lineup — everything from battery-assisted moped bicycles to electric motorcycles, plus electric skateboards.

"Electric scooters and motorcycles are discriminated against by the Canadian government," the Bulgarian-born Miloshev says. "If I take one of our manufactured models to Transport Canada for certification, they will charge me $80,000 for an inspection — for one model. But anyone with a home-made electric car can get a $25 inspection from the motor vehicle branch and put a plate on it. The government has made it very complicated to sell electric scooters and motorcycles in this country."

Still, if you want to persevere, the technology is improving. For one thing, you can now buy an electric scooter that will actually keep going under its own steam when you encounter a change in elevation.

Thanks to a special built-in torque converter, Greenwit's new HTh model will climb any hill up to 20 degrees without the rider having to resort to pedalling or pushing. "It doesn't consume any more power than a regular model, but it is 80 per cent more efficient," says Miloshev.

Greenwit also sells its GTx model, which will actually achieve a top speed of some 70 km/h — on the flat with a tailwind. And it can apparently have a range of up to 200 kilometres, depending on the battery.

Most scooters are governed not to exceed 32 km/h, so the GTx is something of a hot rod. With this model, you will need a DOT-approved helmet and a driver's licence, but some of Greenwit's other offerings don't require any licence at all. If it is categorized as an electric scooter by Transport Canada, that means it will have a top speed of 32 km/h and anyone can ride it as long as they're wearing a helmet.

But the heart of the problem is still battery technology, which has kind of hit the wall. Even the most efficient scooter on the market will run out of juice after about 50 or 70 kilometres, if it has a conventional lead-acid battery.

"You can buy a lithium-ion, battery-powered scooter," explains Miloshev, "but just the battery by itself costs about $1,500, so it's kind of expensive." Lead-acid batteries have a life of two or three years, where a lithium-ion battery will keep you going for five.

Still, things are improving. Thanks to the skyrocketing price of gas, and films like Who Killed The Electric Car? and An Inconvenient Truth, public interest has been piqued.

And some cities are getting the message about scooters, electric and otherwise. In Toronto, you can park your scooter or motorcycle for free on city streets, and in Vancouver, the city is considering installing free plug-in recharging centres throughout the downtown area.

And not a moment too soon, according to Miloshev. "We almost went into bankruptcy," he says, "and things got pretty tough for us. But there is light at the end of the tunnel now. We're still in deep water, but at least we're floating.

"We are setting up dealerships in Toronto and Vancouver right now. We have to change people's curiosity about electric scooters into interest."

For more information on Greenwit, visit: www.e-ride.ca .