Are you considering an e-bike and looking at all the pros and cons? One of the massive benefits is the eco-friendly angle, but a lot of people are unsure about what makes e-bikes so eco and whether they’re really that beneficial.
There are quite a few things that make e-bikes eco-friendly, with the main one being that they make cycling a far more practical form of transportation. They are massively more environmentally friendly than cars and can be a key part of cutting down greenhouse gas emissions. Many people think they are going to be crucial to creating a sustainable future.
With that in mind, let’s check out why e-bikes are so environmental and what they do to make life more eco-friendly!
Read Also: 10 Environmental Advantages of Owning an Electric Bike
Reason 1) They Make Cycling More Convenient
Let’s face it: while we all want to save the planet, it can be hard to make good eco choices all of the time. Life’s busy, chaotic, and often stressful. You don’t necessarily want to add to that by suddenly forcing yourself to cycle everywhere that you previously drove to – even if you know it’s better.
However, an e-bike makes cycling a lot easier and therefore more enjoyable. Because the bike does some of the work for you, you can ensure you don’t wind up dripping with sweat by the end of the ride. That means that things like cycling to work or over to a friend’s place suddenly become more viable options.
You’re also more likely to take the bike out just because it’s pleasanter overall. If you aren’t exhausted every time you come back from a cycle ride, cycling becomes more appealing, and you’re more likely to do it.
Reason 2) They Make Cycling More Realistic
Even for a dedicated cyclist, cycling has some serious limitations. Big hills and long distances are often not practical with a bike instead of a car. They’re exhausting and they take a long time – time that few people today have to spare. However, an e-bike can change all that.
Because e-bikes offer greatly increased speed, you’ll find that far more areas are considered “a reasonable distance away.” That opens up an enormous range of new areas for many people. If your commute to work would take an hour on a traditional bike but would only take about half an hour on an e-bike, cycling suddenly becomes a much more realistic option.
This becomes true for all of your journeys. Previously out-of-reach places become options simply because you can access them more quickly and without wearing yourself out. This massively increases the incentive to cycle and reduces the number of journeys you need to use your car for.
Reason 3) They Make Roads More Bicycle-Friendly Overall
Cycling on the road can be a daunting experience, and it’s not one that everybody wants to tackle. However, the more cyclists that we end up with on the roads, the more bicycle-friendly the roads become.
Local authorities are more likely to add cycle lanes, and car drivers are more likely to be aware of and courteous to cyclists. There will also be fewer cars overall, which makes the roads safer too.
This is one of the more indirect ways that getting an e-bike can contribute to the eco-friendliness of your area as a whole. By making the decision to take a car off the road (at least some of the time) and add a bike to it, you’re swaying the overall trend toward cycling and tilting the balance in the bike’s favor.
Reason 4) They Ease Congestion
Furthermore, using an e-bike can reduce traffic congestion, which helps everybody out – especially the planet. A lot of fumes are the result of cars idling while they wait on congested roads, and you can do your part to reduce that by cycling instead of driving.
The smaller, more maneuverable bikes make better use of the road space and help to improve air quality for everybody. This is especially true in cities, where congestion tends to be particularly bad, and a lot of roads are getting blocked up by simply having too many cars on them.
An e-bike is also an option for getting around in a city that isn’t pedestrian-friendly. They allow non-drivers to access the city using the roads without having to start contributing to pollution. Of course, cities still need to do more to ensure that they are bike-friendly, but this is a good starting point for increasing accessibility in eco-friendly ways.
Read Also: How E-Bikes Contribute to Sustainable Transportation
Reason 5) E-Bikes Are More Energy-efficient
An e-bike is far more energy efficient than a car, using only around 0.025 kWh per mile. A car will often use something like 0.34 kWh per mile, so there’s a huge saving to be made here. If you are driving alone (with no passengers), you could save more than 10 times the energy by choosing to use a bike instead.
Reason 6) They Increase Accessibility
Not everybody can ride an e-bike, but they are more accessible for some people than traditional bikes. Because they “help out” and give you an easier ride, they are easier for people who have certain disabilities, and they may also be better for people who aren’t very fit but would like to start exercising.
By making cycling more accessible and increasing its usefulness (by extending the range and situations in which you can use your bike), e-bikes are making this means of transportation better overall for everybody.
This also helps disabled individuals to get out more and live more independently, depending on their disability. That can reduce their need for cars and taxi rides, which only add to congestion and air pollution issues.
Read Also:
How To Choose The Perfect E-Bike For Your Needs
Starting Strong: E-Bike Riding Tips For Novices
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a great many reasons to choose an e-bike if you want a more sustainable future. They make it easier to decrease your dependence on cars, they represent a shift in the right direction for local authorities, and they are more accessible for people than traditional bikes may be.
Reference Sources
The eBike – Sustainability that aids progress. – Link
How an electric bike can benefit you? – Link
Are electric bikes the future of green transportation? – Link
Pedaling Towards a Sustainable Future with the Power of Electric Bicycles – Link
