Electric Cars Are Not The Answer. But Electric Bikes May Be

Note: This is a non-religious, "musing" post which may or may not interest you. But I had fun writing it regardless.

I've been a huge fan of all things alternative-energy since high school. I've also been a bicyclist and bicycle commuter since that time. It's exciting to see how the industry has advanced, costs have come down, reliability has gone up, and feasibility of light electric transport has become more realistic.

To put this in to context, I go into the office three days a week. When at all possible, I try to bike in. It is twelve miles over rolling terrain and backroads to my office...a generally pleasant route. The hills are not overly burdensome, but on a regular pedal bike it can take me almost an hour since I am old, fat, and out of shape, and usually results in me getting to work sweaty. The route I bike takes about 27 minutes to drive. 

I've been building and riding gas and electric powered bicycles for about ten years now, and have experimented with a lot of different setups--from a battery-operated 'push-trailer,' to a mid-drive geared motor, to 2 and 4 stroke gas engines...you name it. My current bike is a very simple but powerful 1500 watt (2 hp) rear direct drive motor from Ebay. There are no gears to break, just magnets within the hub that theoretically can last forever. That is one of the beauties of electric vehicles--there are very few parts to break down, and reduced maintenance makes them fairly reliable. 

The kit itself consisted of the rear motor laced to the rim with heavy 11 gauge spokes; a controller (the 'brains' of the kit where all the wires connect); and a roll throttle, similar to a motorcycle, with 'fuel' gauge. I think the kit cost me about $250 or so shipped. Because these are mass produced, and not proprietary, manufacturers of these aftermarket kits can keep costs low because they deal in volume. 

I bought the 48 volt, 20 amp-hour lithium battery on Ebay as well, for about the same price ($250). The battery is good for about 30 miles of range (more or less depending on speed, terrain, and pedaling), and at over 1,000 cycles, will last at least 30,000 miles. It costs a few pennies to charge with a simple laptop-type charger you just plug in and in a few hours it's replenished and ready to go. I did sew the bag myself, and soldered the connectors.

The bike itself I bought for $150 on Craigslist. It's not super complicated--mostly swapping out the rear wheel with the motor-wheel, and hooking up the connections. I wouldn't say anyone can do it, but watch a few Youtube videos and a reasonably mechanically-inclined person can do what I did in building up this rig. The whole set up, then, cost me about $650. 

What's counter-intuitive is that electric bikes are actually more efficient than pedal-powered bikes alone when you factor in the cost of food. The only thing I really need to replace is tires and brake pads, and the cost of electricity is negligible. The motor is good for 100,000 miles at least, and the battery for 30,000. I ride about 4,000 miles a year--to work, for errands, to Mass, etc. This winter has been very strange in that we have had virtually no snow, so I have been able to bike all winter as well for the most part. I travel about 20-30mph on the bike and it has been super reliable. I get to work in 35 minutes most days (remember, it takes 27 minutes to drive the same route). If there were more traffic, it would take even longer by car. 

I also do get some good exercise on the bike, even though it seems like "cheating." I pedal the whole way, though I'm not blowing a gasket up the hills like I would be on my non-electric road bike. From estimations I have seen online, electric bikes get around 1,000 miles per gallon equivalent; they are literally the most efficient form of transportation.  

A car that gets 25 mpg will cost you fourteen cents a mile in gas alone (assuming $3.50/gal). Factor in oil changes, tires, wear and tear, depreciation, and you could easily approach fifty cents a mile operating cost. At 12,000 miles a year, that's $6,000 annually. Assuming I get 30,000 miles out of my electric bike, I'm paying two-tenths of a cent per mile. I also get exercise, fresh air, have fun, and save miles on my existing car. 

I also feel safer on an electric bike. I can speed up when I need to through intersections, ride defensively, and not back cars up behind me on hills. Now, I have been biking for decades and feel comfortable on the road, and you may not. Most parts of our country are simply not built for biking safely, and that's a shame. I feel comfortable doing it, that the reward outweighs the potential risks (which, let's face it, are there when you drive as well). But that's just me. I ride defensively and am very visible with lights, reflectors, etc. I've only been hit by a car once in thirty years of biking. In my book, that's not a bad track record. 

There's been a lot of press about how electric cars are rising in popularity. I'm not sold. I think hybrids and plug-ins are a more reasonable solution, personally. 

For one thing, the environmental and human-rights impacts of lithium mining are real, and there simply is not enough cobalt and lithium to supply all the electric cars we seem to want to have on the road. a 75kWh battery pack in a Tesla is a lot more costly to not only mine but to buy. To put in perspective, my e-bike battery is about 1kWh. That's a lot less material, and at $250 (versus $25,000) is a negligible investment.

If e-bikes get about 1,000 mpgE versus 120 mpgE, they are ten times more efficient, and cost tens of thousands of dollars less. It's a great way to get around, but it's not a status symbol, which is what electric vehicles have become--just another form of gentrification.

Also, if our existing grid cannot handle surges in electric consumption, and we are still fueling them with natural gas and other non-renewables, what makes us adding millions of electric cars to our existing fleet is a sustainable option for our energy grid? I'm not saying it can't happen, but it would need a massive investment in updating our existing grid, adding nuclear, etc. 

But add a million electric bikes on the road (that actually get used and get people out of their cars), and you may make some kind of meaningful impact.

I know this is not a realistic option for a lot of people. I still have a car (we have two actually, as a family), but it's helped me put less miles on it, be more sustainable, and saved a ton of money in the process. I don't regard my electric bike as a toy, but rather as an effective tool for getting from point A to point B in the most efficient and economical way possible. I'm grateful for the advances in this industry, personally. Not all technology is bad when it helps you live a better life on earth...as long as I don't get hit by a car and meet the Lord sooner than expected!