Electric cargo bike sales booming in northern Illawarra

But one year later, there are plenty of other cargo bike kids for twins Arkie and Edie (5) and three-year-old Taz to wave to.

The bikes, with their front-loader or longtail designs, hold-on rails and game-changing motors, are trending in the Illawarra's northern suburbs, in a boom believed fed by environmental and lifestyle concerns, and rising petrol prices.

Andy Eather, part-owner, Sydney Electric Bikes at Engadine, says almost all of the estimated 70 e-cargo bikes he's sold in the past three years have gone to families in the northern Illawarra.

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"The [Sutherland] shire's still too crazy for traffic; the northern Illawarra is a hotspot," said Mr Eather, attributing the boom to the area's higher incomes, abundance of "young families who want to make a difference" and Wollongong's recent UCI Road World Championships host status.

According to Mr Eather, parents overwhelmingly cite the school pick-up and drop-off as their main reason for ditching the car.

"They can sit there for 20 minutes [in a car], or they can drop the kids off safely and be home before the car at the back of the queue gets to the front," he said.

"Even during all that rain we've had, they've said they're prepared to get a little bit wet to not sit in a massive queue at the drop-off zone."

Andrew Larkham, of Corrimal bike shop Riding for Life, has sold eight e-cargo bikes and fielded mounting inquiries over the past year.

"Fuel prices have gone through the roof and I think people are more open to transport alternatives now," he said. "The main thing I'm asked about is how the child is going to sit on the back. And people say, '$7000 for a bike is a lot of money'. We've actually sold more of those though than the cheaper models."

The bikes can cost as little as $3000, but the price of some European models can soar eye-wateringly close to $10,000, particularly once kitted out with sold-separately accessories like rails, trays, kickstands and sideboards.

For Ms McDonald, a communications manager for a not-for-profit and one of the volunteers behind Electrify 2515 - a push to create the first all-electric community in Australia, the price of not pedaling was greater.

"With your petrol car being the biggest household energy-user and responsible for most of your emissions, we were always looking at ways to reduce that impact, but riding around on a regular bike with three kids was not very practical, particularly over longer distances," she said. "Once we saw some of these electric cargo bikes come on the market, that really changed the game for us."

"At first I wasn't sure whether I would be strong enough to use it. I did have to try a couple before I found one that suited me. They vary on aspects like how much power they have, in terms of the motor or just the design."

Ms McDonald chose Yuba's Spicy Curry model, which has a smaller rear wheel than front, lowering the bike's centre of gravity and making it easier to handle with kids on board.

She said she avoided riding with her children on busy roads (it is legal to ride a bike on the footpath in NSW if the rider is carrying a child under 10. Electrically power-assisted cycles are deemed to be standard bicycles if they fit certain criteria, such as weight and maximum power requirements) but otherwise found the streets well-suited to electric bikes.

"I never thought I'd make it up to Buttenshaw Drive at Austinmer, but it can easily get up there with three kids on it," she said. "I will go anywhere in the northern Illawarra on a bike."

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