If you don't pay attention to green transportation news, you probably aren't aware of the rise of the ebike. These aren't mopeds or scooters or mini-motorcycles: they're bicycles with small motors that can be engaged when needed. You pedal most of the time, but when you come to a hill, you can engage the throttle to make the climb easier, or on a longer trip if you're tired.
People can get where they're going without being a sweaty mess, and people who are less physically able can ride bikes instead of driving cars.
The bikes weigh a bit more than "acoustic" bikes, of course, but not that much more, and obviously they're a tiny weight compared to cars and SUVs.
I don't know how many times I've heard it said that once a reluctant bike-rider tries one, they're sold. I'm thinking about getting one, but I'm waiting for just a bit more safe biking infrastructure to be built around me before taking the plunge.
Well, lots of other people are getting ahead of me. In 2020, an American bought an ebike every 52 seconds, which is twice as frequent as four-wheeled vehicles. And until recently, there were no subsidies for ebike purchases to make them more affordable. (Ebike prices range from about $600 to well over $5,000, depending on format and features.) That changed when Denver announced a $400–$1,200 rebate program in late April and reached capacity within a few weeks. We'll see if more places that are serious about their climate goals follow suit (ahem, St. Paul).
As some of my ebiking friends say, they're a perfect solution for medium-length trips as well as short trips, which means they can work in the suburbs while we improve the land use there.
If it means you can drop a car, it's cheap.
Pictured: The Pedego Comfort Cruiser.
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