Transportation: Is an Electric Bike Environmentally Friendly?

Electric bikes look cool, help you arrive at your destination faster than pedaling alone, and cost less than a car to run. But are these bikes really environmentally friendly? Do they make sense to invest in?

An electric bike is a bicycle with a motor that can be powered by a battery. If you are considering the purchase of an electric bike, pat yourself on the back because you’re going in the right direction towards greener living.

Americans are just now realizing what the Europeans and Asians already know. Electronic bikes are the wave of the future and make a great deal of sense.  Americans bought fewer than 200,000 electric bikes last year, while Europe and Asia saw sales of over 22 million! It’s time more people discovered the smart choice of an electric bike.

Electric bicycles are ideal for commuters. Because most commuters travel fewer than fifteen miles to work each morning, an electric bike is a great alternative to driving or even taking mass transit. Riding an electric bike helps to lower the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, cuts down on traffic, and lessens the noise pollution around us. Each bike on the road means one less car using fuel and needing to be maintained.

Consider that a good electric bicycle will cost you about $1500. That’s a one-time investment. Your car, however, will require a monthly payment, fuel, repairs, oil and tires. And that’s just the basic minimum to run it. You also need car insurance and will need to clean it frequently. An electric bicycle, on the other hand, allows you to get out into the sunshine and puts all that car-expense money back into your bank account.

Wondering how you’ll get exercise on an electric bike? Most give you the option to pedal or to use electric power. You can opt for either and switch on and off when you’re tired. So you can get your workout in and skip the hefty gym membership fees as well.

Your new electric bike will be equipped with a plug, much like home appliances. Your lithium-ion battery is rechargeable and will last you four years or more—or about 20,000 miles! Even if you charge it several times each week, you’ll still get years of use from it. So there’s no running out for batteries and shelling out cash each time.  So what do you do when your battery finally crashes? Send it back to the company you bought the bike from.  They’ll recycle it so that it’s not sitting in a dump and leaching out into the landfill.

You’ll also take up less space when you use a bike rather than a car. Today’s electric bikes are so well designed that they fold into the space a traditional bike would take up. You don’t need a huge garage to house your bike. You can bring it inside even in the smallest apartment.

Additionally, you’re not damaging the environment when you use an electric bike. In fact, you’re helping sustain it. You will not be using expensive fossil fuels and you won’t be emitting dangerous carbon monoxide into the air. You also won’t be adding to the smog and pollution or noise volume around you. You’ll be one person closer to helping create a society that uses clean and renewable transportation sources.

Many corporations and businesses are now considering using electric bicycles for their staff. Consider how much air and noise pollution would be reduced if security guards, parking attendants, traffic cops, police patrols, messenger services, local delivery companies, college students, and other businesses used electric bikes. There would be fewer cars making repeat trips around town. And more people would be outdoors where they can actually interact with other people instead of sealing themselves up in air conditioned cars.

If you are looking for an electric bicycle, it’s not hard to find a good model. Companies like Schwinn, the big name in two wheelers, now offer models in every price range. You can also browse a huge selection and purchase your electric bike online.

What to look for in an electric bicycle:

  • A charging time of no more than six hours
  • Electrical charge to last at least 25 miles before recharge
  • A sleek style that can fold to save space
  • A lithium battery that can be recycled
  • A gearless motor
  • Solid tires
  • Disc brakes
  • At least a one year warranty
  • Service contract from the manufacturer should anything break the first year
  • Access and anti-theft features like a specialized key code to start the bike
  • Settings for pedaling, motor, and a combination of either or both
  • A fair return policy
  • A company that makes its information accessible and has good customer service
  • A choice of colors that please you
  • The availability of replacement parts
  • Extras like a basket or accessories that you can add if you need them

There is no doubt that the electric bicycle is a smarter alternative than driving a gas guzzling car or truck. Sure, there are situations where an electric bicycle is not feasible, but they are few. You can take an electric bike on the subway, the bus, into a small living space, to a college dorm room, into your break room at work, and many other places. If you get a folding model, you’ll take up even less space.