Can E-Bikes Displace Cars?
Electric bicycles could offer cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in countries like China
The 21st-century equivalent of the cavalry has come charging in to rescue cities in China and South Asia in their battles against air pollution and global warming. And it's also beginning to help out on the traffic-choked streets in London, New York, São Paulo and Los Angeles.
This is the electric bicycle, or "e-bike," a technology that blends the simplicity and mobility of a traditional bicycle with the speed of a moped or motorized scooter, but without the internal combustion engine.
Transportation experts say e-bikes -- along with electric cars, light-rail trains and more pedestrian-friendly cities -- could become one of the primary drivers of cleaner air and reduced global greenhouse emissions across much of the urbanized world, with China, India and Southeast Asia leading the fight to clear the air.
"The bicycle is an enormously efficient vehicle," said Ed Benjamin, managing director of eCycleElectric, a consulting firm to the light electric vehicle industry with offices in the United States, China and Taiwan. "The rolling resistance is minimal. They cost very little in terms of materials and the energy needed to build them compared to other vehicles. They don't require gasoline and can be parked almost anywhere."
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-From Scientific American article titled "Can E-Bikes Displace Cars?" by Daniel Cusick published on February 22, 2012
The 21st-century equivalent of the cavalry has come charging in to rescue cities in China and South Asia in their battles against air pollution and global warming. And it's also beginning to help out on the traffic-choked streets in London, New York, São Paulo and Los Angeles.
This is the electric bicycle, or "e-bike," a technology that blends the simplicity and mobility of a traditional bicycle with the speed of a moped or motorized scooter, but without the internal combustion engine.
Transportation experts say e-bikes -- along with electric cars, light-rail trains and more pedestrian-friendly cities -- could become one of the primary drivers of cleaner air and reduced global greenhouse emissions across much of the urbanized world, with China, India and Southeast Asia leading the fight to clear the air.
"The bicycle is an enormously efficient vehicle," said Ed Benjamin, managing director of eCycleElectric, a consulting firm to the light electric vehicle industry with offices in the United States, China and Taiwan. "The rolling resistance is minimal. They cost very little in terms of materials and the energy needed to build them compared to other vehicles. They don't require gasoline and can be parked almost anywhere."
Click here to continue reading...
-From Scientific American article titled "Can E-Bikes Displace Cars?" by Daniel Cusick published on February 22, 2012
The Surprising Health Benefits of an Electric Bike - New York Times
In the Tour de France, equipping your bike with a small electric motor is called mechanical doping, and is considered cheating. But for the rest of us, an electrified bicycle might be a way to make exercise both tolerable and practical, according to an encouraging new study of bicycle commuting. Exercise is necessary in our lives, as we all know by now. People who are physically active are much less likely than sedentary people to develop heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, depression, disabilities in old age, or to die prematurely. But statistics show that, despite its benefits, a majority of us never exercise. When researchers ask why, most people offer the same two excuses — they don’t have time to fit exercise into their lives or they aren’t fit enough to undertake exercise.
Potentially, electric bicycles could address those concerns. Their motors shore up your pedaling as needed — or, with some electric bikes, do the pedaling for you — making climbing hills or riding for long distances less taxing and daunting than the same ride on a standard bicycle. In the process, they could make cycling a palatable alternative to commuting by car, allowing people with jammed daily schedules to work out while getting to work. But the value of electric bicycles has so far been mostly notional. Few of us have seen, let alone ridden, an electric bike and there is scant scientific evidence supporting — or refuting — the potential health benefits of using the machines.
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-From The New York Times' article titled "The Surprising Health Benefit of Electric Bikes" published on July 6, 2016
Potentially, electric bicycles could address those concerns. Their motors shore up your pedaling as needed — or, with some electric bikes, do the pedaling for you — making climbing hills or riding for long distances less taxing and daunting than the same ride on a standard bicycle. In the process, they could make cycling a palatable alternative to commuting by car, allowing people with jammed daily schedules to work out while getting to work. But the value of electric bicycles has so far been mostly notional. Few of us have seen, let alone ridden, an electric bike and there is scant scientific evidence supporting — or refuting — the potential health benefits of using the machines.
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-From The New York Times' article titled "The Surprising Health Benefit of Electric Bikes" published on July 6, 2016
Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next? - Bloomberg
E-bike manufacturers are wooing Americans
The vibe is buoyant at the headquarters of BH Bikes in Vitoria, a city in Spain’s Basque region. Founded in 1909 as an arms manufacturer, the company switched to bikes after World War I and introduced its first electric model in 2008. Today there are more than 60, ranging in price from about $1,300 to $5,200. “Growth has been tremendous,” says Mikel Quintana, head of the e-bike division, who expects to sell 20,000 this year, up 20 percent from 2015.
Across the Atlantic, Don DiCostanzo, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Pedego Electric Bikes, is also pumped. He anticipates his 30-employee company, based in Fountain Valley, Calif., will sell 10,000 of the brightly colored two-wheelers, which start at about $2,300, this year. “What’s critical is we built a distribution system with branded stores, just like Apple,” he says, referring to the company’s network of 83 Pedego dealerships.
The market for electric bikes is fragmented, with BH, Pedego, and dozens of other companies selling a multitude of models, ranging from elegant folding versions aimed at yacht owners to fat-tire monsters for weekend warriors such as hip-hop mogul Sean Combs, who showed off his at last year’s Burning Man festival. E-bike sales are expected to total $15.7 billion globally this year and reach $24.3 billion in 2025, according to Navigant Research. “It’s a category that is wide open,” says Edward Benjamin, senior managing director of ECycleElectric Consultants in Fort Myers, Fla., and chairman of the Light Electric Vehicle Association. “Little guys are jumping into a business that no one’s been paying attention to,” he says.
An e-bike is a bicycle with an electric motor. A rider can pedal without using the motor or use it for a boost. The motors in the U.S. are generally limited to a maximum of 20 miles per hour. Recreational riders and commuters can cover long distances and handle hills without breaking a sweat. Motorcycle bans have helped lead to massive e-bike adoption in China, where more than 200 million are in use, according to Benjamin. The country is also the world’s biggest e-bike manufacturer and exporter, with giants such as Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle and Yadea Technology Group each able to produce several million annually. Compared with Asia, North America is barely a blip—Navigant predicts only about 152,000 e-bikes will be sold in the region this year, though it expects steady growth. “I would guess 90 to 95 percent of people in the U.S. don’t even know what an electric bicycle is,” says Navigant analyst Ryan Citron, who uses one to get to his job in Boulder, Colo. Unlike Europe, which boasts multilane bicycle highways, the U.S. is “really set up to commute by car, not by bike,” making mainstream adoption “very challenging,” he says.
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The bottom line: Makers of electric bikes are targeting the U.S., where sales are a fraction of those in Asia and Western Europe.
-From Bloomberg's article titled "Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?" published on June 2, 2016
Across the Atlantic, Don DiCostanzo, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Pedego Electric Bikes, is also pumped. He anticipates his 30-employee company, based in Fountain Valley, Calif., will sell 10,000 of the brightly colored two-wheelers, which start at about $2,300, this year. “What’s critical is we built a distribution system with branded stores, just like Apple,” he says, referring to the company’s network of 83 Pedego dealerships.
The market for electric bikes is fragmented, with BH, Pedego, and dozens of other companies selling a multitude of models, ranging from elegant folding versions aimed at yacht owners to fat-tire monsters for weekend warriors such as hip-hop mogul Sean Combs, who showed off his at last year’s Burning Man festival. E-bike sales are expected to total $15.7 billion globally this year and reach $24.3 billion in 2025, according to Navigant Research. “It’s a category that is wide open,” says Edward Benjamin, senior managing director of ECycleElectric Consultants in Fort Myers, Fla., and chairman of the Light Electric Vehicle Association. “Little guys are jumping into a business that no one’s been paying attention to,” he says.
An e-bike is a bicycle with an electric motor. A rider can pedal without using the motor or use it for a boost. The motors in the U.S. are generally limited to a maximum of 20 miles per hour. Recreational riders and commuters can cover long distances and handle hills without breaking a sweat. Motorcycle bans have helped lead to massive e-bike adoption in China, where more than 200 million are in use, according to Benjamin. The country is also the world’s biggest e-bike manufacturer and exporter, with giants such as Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle and Yadea Technology Group each able to produce several million annually. Compared with Asia, North America is barely a blip—Navigant predicts only about 152,000 e-bikes will be sold in the region this year, though it expects steady growth. “I would guess 90 to 95 percent of people in the U.S. don’t even know what an electric bicycle is,” says Navigant analyst Ryan Citron, who uses one to get to his job in Boulder, Colo. Unlike Europe, which boasts multilane bicycle highways, the U.S. is “really set up to commute by car, not by bike,” making mainstream adoption “very challenging,” he says.
Click here to continue reading...
The bottom line: Makers of electric bikes are targeting the U.S., where sales are a fraction of those in Asia and Western Europe.
-From Bloomberg's article titled "Electric Bikes Won Over China. Is the U.S. Next?" published on June 2, 2016
Why you need an Electric Bike - Men's Fitness
Cycling is the new driving. Bike commuting, cycle-share programs, and expanding bike-lane networks top most big-city traffic agendas. But while attitudes toward cycling are changing, so are bikes themselves. Electronic bicycles—also known as e-bikes—have hit the scene and are making a major impression. While they look like normal two-wheelers, they have a built-in electric motor for propulsion; some kick in with pedaling and others have engines where you can thumb the throttle.
So, you ask, if the bike is doing the work, where’s the exercise? Well, the trick to making your e-bike a fitness tool is to use the motor just enough to keep going. Cycle until you’re either wiped out or you hit a steep hill, and then rev the engine for that extra oomph. Mark Kahn, founder and CEO of Electric Extreme Machines, an e-bike retailer, gave us the rundown on the benefits of e-bikes, and why you need to own one now.
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-From Men's Magazine article titled "Why You Need An Electric Bike"
So, you ask, if the bike is doing the work, where’s the exercise? Well, the trick to making your e-bike a fitness tool is to use the motor just enough to keep going. Cycle until you’re either wiped out or you hit a steep hill, and then rev the engine for that extra oomph. Mark Kahn, founder and CEO of Electric Extreme Machines, an e-bike retailer, gave us the rundown on the benefits of e-bikes, and why you need to own one now.
Click to continue reading...
-From Men's Magazine article titled "Why You Need An Electric Bike"