Electric cars take most of the headlines when it comes to sustainable travel, but an unassuming mode of transport has crept up behind them in the popularity stakes.
Indeed, in 2022, Bloomberg shared data from the Light Vehicle Association that suggested electric bikes were the best-selling vehicles in the country in 2021, with 790,000 imports of the two-wheelers.
John MacArthur, a transport researcher from the University of Portland, has noticed that e-bike sales are still booming in the United States, and he has declared 2023 as "year of the e-bike," as reported by the Guardian.
Data from Circana, shared by ABC News, revealed a 269% rise in sales between 2019 and 2022, and the Guardian cites figures from Grand View Research stating that the market is now expected to be worth $2.59 billion.
E-bikes initially struggled to capture the imagination of Americans, but MacArthur suggested the coronavirus pandemic may have had something to do with the shift in attitudes, with people looking for efficient ways to get around in the absence of available public transport.
With cities and states also looking at ways to cut pollution, e-bikes are being made available to rent in some locations, perhaps convincing more people to give this mode of transportation a go.
"All these converging trends means that I think we'll look back at this year and think this was an important moment," MacArthur told the Guardian. "E-bikes are in the zeitgeist, people are talking about them. They are inclusive of everyone. Even my mom is thinking of getting one."
The Inflation Reduction Act introduced by President Joe Biden provided federal funding for the purchase of an electric car, with up to $7,500 available to consumers depending on circumstance. While there wasn't a similar scheme to make buying an e-bike more affordable, MacArthur's E-Bike Incentive Programs of North America Tracker shows there are over 100 city and state incentives available.
The Guardian also noted New York is set to introduce $1,100 offsets for buying an electric bike or scooter.
But while sales are encouraging, appropriate bike infrastructure is needed to really make this form of transport viable for citizens. Cycling can be dangerous, especially on busy roads, so designated lanes for people traveling on two wheels will only help to improve confidence and encourage more people to switch from dirty-fuel-powered cars.
Electric bikes produce significantly less pollution than gas-guzzling cars, and they're even better for the planet than electric vehicles because they combine human power with an electric motor. That means less electricity is needed to travel, which will reduce the reliance on an energy grid that is still overwhelmingly fuelled by coal.
While MacArthur suggested 2023 was the "year of the e-bike," it was also the year of record temperatures, with the 12-month period the hottest ever recorded. That's why pollution-free travel is so important to reduce air pollution that traps heat in the atmosphere and increases thermometer readings.
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