Resource: New fact sheet answers questions on e-bikes

WASHINGTON – On the eve of Friday’s Bike to Work Day, as communities nationwide show solidarity for bikers and the country’s booming interest in e-bikes continues to grow, U.S. PIRG and Environment America are releasing a fact sheet to help answer some common questions that consumers have about electric bicycles.

“E-bikes open up the world of two-wheeled transportation. They extend ride ranges, flatten terrain and increase the load that someone could carry in cargo. In addition, an e-bike keeps the sweat off the rider’s brow, making it vastly easier to get around without a car,” said Sam Little, Transform Transportation advocate for U.S. PIRG. “I look forward to a future when getting around on zero-emission bikes is common, and we reduce the number of cars on the road — a true win for our health and communities.”

In the United States, e-Bikes outsold electric cars and plug-in hybrids in 2021. This clean transportation technology is building off a pandemic-era boom when folks sought alternatives to enclosed public transit and were more interested in picking up socially distanced outdoor hobbies. However, as pandemic restrictions ease, the demand for e-bikes remains strong. 

“On Bike to Work Day, we should remember that replacing car trips with zero-carbon options like e-bikes is one of the best ways to fight climate change,” said Morgan Folger, Destination: Zero Carbon director at Environment America. “E-bikes are an affordable way to make running errands or getting to work a breeze. I urge state and local governments to support e-bike commuters by improving bike-forward infrastructure and offering rebates on clean two-wheeled machines.”  

Advocates point out that e-bikes have the potential to reduce car miles traveled on our roads– an important goal to reduce the transportation sector’s climate impact. In addition, advocates say that e-bikes can extend the range someone is willing to bike to work, the grocery store, or anywhere else with proper bike-friendly infrastructure.

 “There are people who would never think of getting on an unpowered bike, but when they jump on an e-bike, they have a ball,” said Jim Tassé, the assistant director at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM). “The e-bike to me is the bridge to get people out of their cars and onto a more active form of transportation.”