What are the electric vehicle e-bikes that we have been ignoring?
In an effort to decarbonise the Australian economy, much has been made of the need to switch to electric cars.
But proponents say there’s a much cheaper and greener EV to consider – the electric bike.
While you may have to be on a 12-month waiting list and make at least $40,000 to buy a new electric car in Australia right now, you can get a two-wheeler with a battery for less than 10 cents to charge, pretty easily.
Chris Jones, president of the Australian Electric Vehicles Association, says many of us forget that bicycles are a form of transportation, and often see them only for fitness and recreation.
“It’s kind of sad that these simple, highly efficient and very affordable electric vehicles are so often overlooked,” said Dr Jones.
“I think a lot of people, especially in Perth, have always looked at bicycles as a toy or recreation; they are very rarely seen as transportation.”
But that quickly changed.
“[E-bikes] is the most abundant EV on the market today. E-bikes beat sales of electric cars 10 to one,” he said.
They range from about $1,200 to convert an existing bike into an electric motorcycle and from $2,000 to $3,000 for a factory-made e-bike, and the running costs are “negligible”.
“The battery in my e-bike is about half a kilowatt hour. According to Synergy [WA’s energy retailer] rates, it’s between 3.5 and 7 cents to fully charge the battery,” said Dr Jones.
‘You’re halfway there before you know it’
In the hills of Perth, we meet Andy, who rides his bike to downtown Kalamunda for some shopping.
He bought his used e-bike six months ago after his license was suspended and says it is a practical replacement for the car, and one he plans to keep using even when he gets back behind the wheel.
“It’s more fun getting into the store and driving around than getting in the car and driving in traffic,” he says.
“And I don’t have to worry about fuel, so that’s great, especially with fuel prices now. You can choose where to park.”
He had used push bikes and motorbikes before, but what surprised him most about the e-bike was how easy it was to get around.
“It’s easier than walking into the car and jumping in and all that turning it on and into the street,” he said.
“You’re halfway here before you know it.”
But it has highlighted gaps in the cycling infrastructure in its neighborhood.
“The way could be better, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t have understood that before.”
Removing obstacles for riding
While there’s nothing an e-bike can do any differently than a pedal-powered one, a powered motor removes the barriers of cycling for trips where people will use their cars.
It’s also attractive to people who want to cycle but don’t have the fitness or desire to sweat, but want to keep cycling, according to Henry Shiel, who works at Fremantle’s e-bike shop Solarbike.
“We see people who, for example, want to travel relatively short distances, but don’t feel like working too hard,” says Sheil.
“Electric bikes are like having a little helping hand pushing you, you’re still trying, but you’re not going to sweat the same way the other way around.
“In addition, not a few parents take their children to school by bicycle.
“We also have people who are older, or people who may lose their balance, maybe after a few medical episodes.”
He said the shop recently sold an electric tricycle to a young man with a disability.
“He was able to go out with his family and follow them, and his father told me it was really a huge benefit to the young man in terms of his independence.
“And there are definitely some people who decide to get rid of the car, because of the cost and the environmental impact.”
While most e-bikers prefer to pedal while being assisted by a bike, they often find the attitude that having a bike to help somehow cheat or fail to provide them with the full training benefits of cycling.
“I absolutely reject that,” said Sheil.
“I found that [having the motor] means I ride my bike on days that I might experience: ‘Oh, too windy, too rainy, too hot’ and take the bus, or drive or something.
“As for the e-bike, I found that I actually used the bike more, and therefore my aerobic fitness, felt the benefits.”
Reducing car use is important for emission reduction
Eliminating the temptation to jump in a car is critical if Australia is to achieve its net zero emissions target, according to Courtney Babb, senior lecturer in urban and territorial planning at Perth’s Curtin University.
“As part of the movement towards clean zero, we need to get people out of cars and reduce car use,” said Dr Babb.
“There’s a focus on electric vehicles like doing that, and reducing our emissions like that, but it’s not going to be enough, we actually have to reduce the use of cars.”
He says there is good evidence that e-bikes do that.
“Research shows e-bikes replace 20-80 percent of trips in cities around the world, with cycling-friendly cities having higher rates,” he said.
He noted that since the start of the COVID pandemic, there has been growth in bicycle and e-bike sales, but there are still bottlenecks, and one of the keys is cycling infrastructure.
“One of the main drivers of people to cycle is to have a safe cycling environment,” says Dr Babb.
“We have an excellent premier cycling network [in Perth]although it could also be better.
“But what is missing is a lot of secondary links … cycling on local roads and roads is generally considered unsafe.
“The UN recommends that about 20 percent of the transport budget be dedicated to active transport, and I think about 2 percent of us.”
Extending EV subsidies for bikes is moot
A number of Australian states and territories are now offering subsidies and discounts for buying electric cars.
Dr Babb suggested the government could consider extending that financial support to e-bikes as well.
“I think that if the government is serious about de-carbonizing transportation, but also tackles some of the problems associated with a transportation system that is very car-focused and dependent on cars, we need to think about solutions other than electric cars and subsidize people for e-bikes. maybe one way to do that,” he said.
“Even with subsidies or rebates for electric vehicles, they focus on people who are on the wealthier end of the spectrum.
“With e-bikes, you might be able to greet people who don’t have much money to buy an electric car and also make up for a lot of traveling within 15 kilometers of where they live.”
Chris Jones agreed.
“I think the fact that two-wheeled electric transport is so efficient that it has been ignored by the various existing schemes is quite disappointing,” he said.
“I think governments often forget how cheap e-bikes are as a transportation option.”
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