Technology

TL;DR: Due to being smaller and lighter, electric bikes and mopeds require significantly less energy to move themselves around than an electric car. The article starts with a headline about "oil demand" but then spends much of the rest of its length harping on consumer monetary costs instead. I could have said that in a lot fewer words. Actually, I just did.

Also, in SE Asia and other places where the primary mode of transport is a small motorbike, as it happens these small motorbikes actually pollute a lot for their displacement due to having basic uncomplicated engines, often not running very well, and lousy or absent emissions controls. ICE vehicles are also at their worst fuel consumption/distance traveled ratio when they're idling or crawling around urban areas at low speed. Replacing these with electric versions just makes sense.

Full disclosure: I own a gas guzzling truck, a fuel efficient car, seven motorcycles, and an electric bicycle. I use different tools for different jobs, as appropriate. If you're looking for a magic bullet, you will probably need it in a few different calibers.

This article is vastly understating the potential benefits of e-bikes. Like-for-like replacements for car trips are only the tip of the iceberg; the real benefit of e-bikes is that the more people that use them, the less car parking we need. That means we can put back all those buildings we destroyed when we razed our cities for the car.

I did the math once for my own commute, on my e-bike and with my electric car, and found that while the electric car uses only 20% of the energy that an average gas-powered car would, the bike uses just 1%. My bike, on my route (both directions averaged together) got 2,200 mpge.

My only problem with ebikes is there's no chance in hell I'm consistently driving on the road with cars.

With how convenient these are, I hope there's more push to add protected bike lanes in road heavy places to increase adoption.

Whaaaaat? You mean electric last-mile micromobility cuts down on emissions in a significant way, just like people had been saying for years? Who would have thought?

When I was younger and more invincible around 2005, I bought one of these crappy Ebay engine kits for a bicycle. One thing I noticed is that it wasn't really any slower from home to work than a car, because I could go around traffic. An E-bike would have been great. A lot of them get around on 500 watt or 750 watt motors, which is considerably smaller than an electric car's motor.

I'd have one now, but it's hard to ride one when I have to carry a kid with me most places.

Goddamn I love my ebike. It’s still very much a bike, but it changes the equation. I can ride a nice big heavy comfortable cruising frame, pull my kid in a trailer bike, get up steep hills that would otherwise stop me, and go 4x as far before I’m tired. It is just a total game changer. I’ve rediscovered the joy of riding my bike like I haven’t known it since college. I’m older and creakier than ever but my bike enjoyment hasn’t diminished - it has increased.

First and foremost, people can afford them.

Great. All technologies that bring down CO2 emissions are needed.

As long as people get rid of their dino juice cars, who cares.

Oh really? Maybe not moving 2,5 tons of metal and battery isnt a good idea? Maybe bikes were always a better mode of transport? I have a feeling that this was pretty obvious.

Watched a YouTube about electric vs gas scooters in Taiwan 🇹🇼. Apparently it's like 6 scooters for every 10 people, crazy!

But the uptake of electric scooters wasn't as much as they thought, but a lot of complaints were around "cost", "parking" and "weight"

Sounds like an electric bicycle would solve all those issues over an electric scooter 🛵

Especially for the poorer, high 2 wheel usage nations, like Vietnam or India.

Just have to pedal a bit! 😉

I have heard this for years now. This all fine. I also have an E-Bike. I really love using it. But I live in central Europe. Weather is really shitty here from October-March. I use my car then. And no, clothing for biking in bad weather is not an option for me. I really can't be bothered to change clothes on my job. I just won't do that.

I think big cars and SUV should be banned.everyone should use a moped or a bike but 9-5s pretending to be rich will hate it.

Love to see this!

On a related note: Feel free to stop by [email protected]

This reads like an advertisement. Not saying it is. But it does.

Edit: Oh, AAP (Australian Associated Press)! Then it's definitely an advertisement.

Ebikes need secure destination parking or they lose usefulness

these are feasible in cities that you wouldn't want to drive a car in anyways. probably not so good for commuting around Boise Idaho