Electric-assisted bicycles have enormous potential to decarbonise our cities, improve urban amenity, reduce the burden of congestion, provide affordable transport for people of all ages and abilities, add incidental exercise into sedentary lives and put big smiles on our faces!
E-bikes are still overlooked in favour of electric cars, despite the much lower entry price and countless other benefits for the environment and public health. E-bikes use 1/40th the energy of electric vehicles, and only cost 15c to charge, using a regular power point.
It is essential that e-bikes are included in the in the discussion on vehicle subsidies. Subsiding e-bikes is much cheaper than subsidising EVs and a subsidised e-bike is affordable for far more people.
There are many schemes around the world that should provide inspiration for state and federal governments. We will keep reminding them! Bicycle NSW recently made a submission in collaboration with Australia’s leading bicycle organisation to the National EV Strategy, advocating for the explicit inclusion of e-bike, e-cargo bikes and emerging forms of micromobility.
