If he could, Kevin Mount would ride his eBike everywhere.

As the founder of Flaunt Electric Vehicles, a manufacturer and retailer of electric bikes, he would love for all Floridians to own an electric bike.

One of the biggest benefits of using an eBike is what he sees from his Flagler Avenue shop — the area he calls Times Square of New Smyrna Beach — is avoiding road congestion. Electric transportation eases that, he says.

“New Smyrna is crazy congested,” says Mount. “If you’re driving to the beach, it could take you 30 minutes. If you’re on a bike, it takes you five minutes. If you’re on a scooter, you still have to wait [in traffic]. With a bike, you head to the beach and you’re passing 100 cars in gridlock.”

With speeds up to 20 mph, eBikes can get folks where they want to go much faster.

For those looking for a workout, skipping the pedal assist helps, says Frank Owens, a Virginia resident with a second home in New Smyrna. Owens and his wife have owned their FLAUNT eBikes for a year and have driven them all over the country. They were sold after taking a single test ride.

“I never ever have any worries,” he says. “The battery lasts and has plenty of power. I absolutely love them. They ride well.”

In 2013, Mount’s interest in eco-friendly transportation sparked. At first, he almost went with electric scooters. Scooters sounded interesting, but bikes had a bigger market. Over the next three years, Mount traveled to and from Asia to do research and development. It’s where he located the best bike parts suppliers.

“We just made our own recipe,” he says. “When we brought electric bikes to New Smyrna Beach, nobody knew what they were. There were a couple of eBike companies out there doing well. Now, there are like 1,000.”

FLAUNT officially launched in June 2016, thanks to the help of Indiegogo, an investor-backing platform for businesses.

While Mount wanted to simply be a manufacturer, customers were coming to his office looking to buy bikes. As a result, FLAUNT now has six employees that operate a retail and rental location, too.

Customers looking for the eBike experience can rent at FLAUNT and cruise to the beach. It’s $60 for a half day; $90 for a full day. Bike purchases start at $2,499.

“Thank God we did open a retail store because, at the time, bike shops didn’t want to hear from us,” he says. “I remember being at the [Interbike International Bicycle Expo] biggest bike show in North America and people were turning their noses up at eBikes.”

Times have changed, though. Now, even Congress is interested in eBikes.

The E-BIKE Act currently going through Congress could improve the incentive for individuals to consider eBikes as their primary transportation mode. In March 2023, discussions arose again in the Senate about offering up to a $1,500 credit for eBikes.

While Mount doesn’t lobby at city council or county commission meetings, he hopes the New Smyrna Beach area considers what an eco-friendly bike path would look like. Given the global eBike market size is projected to grow by  , it’s safe to say eBikes are here to stay.

Aside from easing congestion and reducing pollution, eBikes also have positive impacts on locals.

Mount says he often gets feedback about how electric transportation has changed his customers’ lives. He had a client tearfully tell him their normally sedentary partner is now riding 15 miles a day with them.

Another story he loves is when FLAUNT raffled off a bike that went to a 17-year-old girl with epilepsy. Her mother won it and gave it to her daughter, who was unable to drive given her condition; the bike gave her the freedom teens her age usually have.

“The positive effects it has on people’s lives is one of my favorite parts of this business,” says Mount. “I would much rather ride my bike than my car if I could 24/7. I’m proud of how we’ve taken care of our customers over the years and built a reputation over the years as a company with integrity.”