More and more people living and working in cities are using e-bikes for commuting and leisure. E-bike riders see them as a viable option for city trips and weekend entertainment. They want speed and distance without too much effort. But will e-bikes really completely replace cars?
The Data
According to Deloitte Insights, many people see the benefits electric bikes can bring them. They are about to become more popular. From 2020 to 2023, more than 130 million e-bikes will be sold, Deloitte said. They also predict that global electric bike sales will exceed 40 million by 2023.
The reason for this remarkable growth comes from improved e-bike technology increasing its utility. This is mainly due to improvements in lithium-ion batteries. Batteries are getting smaller while increasing the range of e-bikes.
Interestingly, according to a Deloitte survey, 28% of e-bike buyers purchased an e-bike to replace or replace their car, not as an upgrade to their regular bike.
The Current Challenge
Let’s be honest, when you look at an electric bike, it’s simple to see how you incorporate people and things into it. People think it’s pointless to load their kids up on an electric bike and send them to school and then go shopping or visit friends on the weekends. For many, it’s hard to see how e-bikes can replace the convenience of cars.
Currently, e-bikes are still not cheap, with prices ranging from approximately $500 to $10,000, which puts some people off. They don’t see it as a cheaper means of transport, but as an expensive bike. You can find budget options, and they’re getting more affordable. But they are always a solid investment. So if you buy one, it’s worth protecting it with the right insurance.
Nonetheless, there are environmental advantages to buying an electric bike. Lithium ions don’t grow on trees, and it’s not very environmentally friendly to extract and transport it. But when you look at how cars are made and their emissions, you see that e-bikes are far less harmful to the planet or could be ignored.
Infrastructure is often an issue when riding an e-bike in a city. Compared to China, the country that owns the most electric bikes, which has plenty of specific non-motorized lanes, the lack of protected bike lanes in many urban areas in the United States has left many potential e-bike commuters feeling intimidated by riding in rush hours. However, some cities recognize that the lack of infrastructure runs counter to their green initiatives. London, for example, is building a vast network of cycle lanes.
Some people may struggle with the practicality of owning an electric bike. For example, storing an e-bike in a small apartment can be tricky, especially if you have to carry it up several flights of stairs. Maybe electric bicycles are more suitable for families living in House.
In addition to the practical, environmental and budget challenges, there is also a social challenge. For many people, cars are still a way of life, making it difficult for them to find alternative, greener modes of transportation.
To break vehicle’s monopoly, people need to change the way people think about electric bikes. They need to prove that they are not just toys for the rich, but a way of getting around for the masses. But even so, many people see the car as a status symbol that e-bikes can’t match.
However, with the improvement of people’s awareness of environmental protection and the construction of urban infrastructure, we believe that more and more people will accept electric bikes and use electric bikes as the main means of daily travel.
Advantages Of E-Bikes Compared To Vehicles
While electric bikes for adults are still expensive to buy, they are still far cheaper than buying a car. But what most people don’t think about is that the real savings are in their running costs. Charging the battery costs far less than filling a tank of fuel. In addition, the maintenance and insurance costs of electric bikes are much lower or even not mandatory compared to cars.
At the same time, electric bikes also play a positive role in our physical health. The fewer cars on the road, the better the air quality in the city center. For this reason, some cities make it increasingly difficult and expensive to drive into them. Doing some low-intensity exercise can benefit many people such as riding an e-bike.
The e-bike industry is also growing and there are various different types of e-bikes on the market. Electric mountain bikes are much more practical than they first seem in 1993 when the first modern E-bike was invented by Yamaha. For example, foldable electric commuter bikes are light and easy to store.
Will E-bikes Be the Substitution Of Vehicles?
It all depends on your lifestyle and needs. If you like to drive around the country and public transportation is not one of your options, indeed, then an e-bike might not be 100% suitable for you.
However, if you live close to the office and all the regular places you need to go, an e-bike might be perfect. For a short trip to town, do you really need to drive when you can? You can avoid traffic and save money without having to think about parking.
Inner city businesses will start to realize these benefits. Delivery services will start replacing their vehicles with electric bikes. They will save their money while being able to continue and possibly improve their service. In fact, another study showed that electric bikes could account for 20 percent of all deliveries. This adds up to potentially tens of billions of deliveries worldwide via electric pedal power.
Electric bikes may not completely replace cars, but they can drastically reduce their usage and make our life better.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
