Electricity is going to be key in the mobility of the future.
Currently, the main headlines and interest are in electric cars, but we know that there
are many cheaper and more efficient mobility alternatives than an electric car, such
as bicycles.
The electric bicycle or E-Bike is basically a bicycle with a motor. According to United
States patent records from 1895, Ogden Bolton was the inventor of this bike. This
invention set the precedent for what was later taken over by the Giant Lafree E-Bikes
brand for their mid-engine bikes in the 1990s.
It was with the 1973 oil crisis in the United States that they began to see an
opportunity in electric bicycles, which work without oil. Following this flourish, Egon
Gelhard developed the first electric bicycles as we know them today.
In 1982, he invented a form of pedal assistance. The motor did not work alone, but
by the traction force of the pedalling, an assistant energy was generated.
Depending on the usage scenario, E-Bike engines are developed with different
powers, an engine for the city is not the same as one for the mountains.
Speed
This is important to keep in mind when choosing one.
The most important thing to know is that the lower the turn the higher the speed and
the higher the turn the higher the torque. Each will have their own benefits in
different situations.
Most people don’t seem to realise that bicycles are about as fast as cars in cities,
and that during rush hour they are much faster than cars.
Saving Time And Money With An Enduro E-Bike
The comparison between electric cars and electric bicycles does not change the
equation in favour of cars. On the contrary, the future is electric bikes and one of the
reasons is because they are faster than electric cars. This can be seen when
vehicles are stuck in traffic jams for hours on end yet a bicycle can scoot by on the
shoulder. It can also be seen when the number of hours spent working to pay for
your vehicle is added to the actual travel time.
Keep in mind the distance of an urban trip of 10 kilometres. On average, it would
take about 20 minutes for an electric car and 33 minutes for an electric bike to cover
that distance.
The average cost of an electric car, including the purchase price and maintenance, is
the equivalent of 40 minutes of work for every 10 kilometres travelled in that car. The
cost of an electric bicycle, on the other hand, is the equivalent of only six minutes of
work every 10 kilometres.
On the other hand, acquiring an electric bicycle exempts you from plates, circulation
cards, verification, parking and insurance. It also has a low maintenance cost.
Thus, maintaining an electric bicycle costs, on average, less than 10 percent of what
it costs to maintain a vehicle, you can charge it while you’re working, at the office, at
home, or in a café, and some parts of Canada have already hit the record high $2/L
gas prices.
“E” Is Also For Ecological
Although the “E” of E-Bike stands for “electric”, it could also be applied to
“ecological”. Obviously, the traditional pedal bicycle is good for the environment, but
considering the advantages that electric bicycles offer us and comparing them with
other motorised vehicles, they are very ecological.
They never required oil and other environmentally harmful fluids, and the battery is
rechargeable.
Despite all the benefits of electric bikes and their growing popularity, electric cars are
still being touted as the mobility of the future. Public sector strategies help, finance
and reinforce this trend, with almost no investment in electric bicycles.
Just imagine: the growth in the number of cyclists could help save cities and prevent
further global warming, if electric bicycles received similar strategic and financial
support to electric cars. But not only that. The future is electric bikes because they
help to save time to dedicate to children, family and oneself.
