The Future is Greener with Electric Bikes

The spotlight focuses on environmental efforts nowadays, so the creation of electric vehicles paved the way to achieve a more sustainable tomorrow. Electric bikes are one of its emerging forms. E-bikes have a similar design to conventional bikes with advanced features such as pedal assist and throttle mode, making them popular to the general public year after year. 

In 2022, the market size of e-bikes in Canada alone is around $730 Million, with an expected growth rate of 12.6% in the succeeding years. This growth is owing to the belief that e-bikes help reduce carbon emissions. They ought to be environmentally friendly and economical. Another factor that raised its popularity is when countries, Canada included, adopted the e-bike rebate program wherein the government offers subsidies depending on income. The program aims to make e-bikes, clean transportation, more affordable and accessible to many, improve health, and help communities by increasing mobility.

The continuous innovation of e-bikes with active effort aims to help reduce carbon footprint. All manufactured items like bikes leave a carbon footprint, but the total amount will be much less. Manufacturing a bike is only tantamount to the carbon emission equivalent of driving a car for about 430 miles. Driving two-wheeled vehicles produces much less pollution than that of 4-wheeled vehicles. 

Utilizing two-wheeled vehicles also minimizes road congestion. For example, thirty cyclists with one bike each consumes less space than thirty cars, one for each driver. As stated earlier, the carbon emission from its production is way less than that of a car. A less congested road also has less emission from idling vehicles. A gallon of burned gasoline produces twenty pounds of greenhouse gases, which contributes to ozone depletion. 

Conclusively, riding an e-bike is only one of the few things we can do to face the climate crisis, but every small contribution matters. With e-bikes, we are pedaling towards a greener future we hope to see one day. However, we should recognize that we are not ready for infrastructure. Most cities do not have enough parking spaces for e-bikes, lanes, charging stations, and traffic laws/signs protecting bikers. Lastly, to see the change we want, we can start paving better roads, literally and figuratively.