April 27, 2012
Will America ever love electric bikes?
Look for more people riding on battery power. Photo courtesy of Busetti
The United States and China are different in so many ways. We borrow, they lend. We like to fly solo, they value their roles in larger groups. We follow the exploits of people named Snooki, they do not know the depths of Snookiness.
Then there are electric bikes. China loves them, America, not so much. Actually, hardly at all.
Let’s run the numbers: Last year, about 25 million e-bikes were sold in China; in the U.S. the number was under 100,000. According to Pike Research, U.S. sales might climb over 100,000 this year and could reach as high as 350,000 in 2018. But that would still be a sliver of projected global sales in 2018, just under 50 million. And it would not only be dwarfed by the market in China–which will still account for almost 90 percent of worldwide sales–but also will fall well below e-bike purchases in India, Europe and Japan.
So why have e-bikes been in such tepid demand here? After all, they run on a battery inside the frame, which has a range of roughly 30 miles on a full charge. They’re very clean–no gas combusted–amazingly efficient, and can go almost as fast as a moped, up to 20 miles per hour. And they can flatten hills that make grown men weep. Or as Steve Roseman, founder of the San Francisco—based Electric Bike Network, told Outside magazine, it’s like “a fairy godmother tapped you on the shoulder and made you twice as strong.”
Okay, there is the price. A good electric bike can start at $1,000, about three times the cost of a quality bicycle; some models, such as the ones now being used by the Los Angeles Police Department, can cost as much as $5,000.
But it’s more than that. A bigger problem is that the people most likely to use electric bikes in the U.S. don’t much like them. In fact, ask most cyclists what they think of e-bikes and they’ll tell you they consider them just one notch above Segways on the sloth meter. A bike with a battery? Isn’t that cheating? Isn’t the whole point to pedal?
Plug and play
Well, yes and no. In China, particularly, electric bikes are a cheap way to get to work. Fitness is not a big part of the equation. You can pedal, but most Chinese don’t. The sensation has been described as something like gliding on a moving walkway at the airport.
Even outside China, e-bikes are coasting closer to the mainstream. Last fall Hertz started renting e-bikes in London. Also in the U.K., the first Electric Bike World Championship–appropriately an uphill race–will be held in Bristol this June. In Amsterdam, where pedaling to work is as routine as morning coffee, almost one out of every five bikes sold last year were battery-powered.
There are trends that could turn things around in the U.S. The obvious one is rising gas prices. Every time they flirt with $4 a gallon, electric bike sales in the U.S. bump up. If they hit $5, the bump could become a boom. There’s also the matter of aging Baby Boomers and Gen Xers who like to ride bikes, but no longer yearn to feel the burn. For them, it’s glide time. In fact, that’s a big part of the e-bike business in Europe.
While fewer than 2 percent of Americans bicycle daily, there’s no question that the number of people biking to work in U.S. cities increases every year. And as the packs of bikers grow in places like San Francisco and Seattle, where the hills are beyond brutal, expect a lot more of them to avoid the heavy pedaling and go electric.
An update: Since posting this piece, among the responses I’ve received was an email from
Boris Mordkovich, a greentech entrepreneur from New York who’s in the middle of a cross-country odyssey to promote e-bikes in the U.S. He emailed from Milwaukee a note including the following comment:
“You’ve mentioned that a big problem in the U.S. is that most of the people who are likely to use them don’t like them. It’s actually not entirely the case. Most of the people in the U.S. either aren’t familiar with electric bikes or have misconceptions about them, confusing them with scooters, motorcycles and everything in between. As long as that’s the case, they fail to see the benefits in them. However, as soon as they are explained what an electric bike is and how it actually works, or better yet, take their first ride on it, the perception changes drastically.”
Batteries not included
Of course, a lot of cool things are still happening with non-electric bikes. Here are a few of the latest innovations:
- A light touch: There’s no shortage of ideas for making bikers visible at night, but one of the more ingenious ones is GLOBARS, in which plastic tubing containing LED lights is wrapped into the handlebars.
- Glow with the flow: A bike called The Pulse provides an even more stylish way to keep urban bikers safe. The middle of the frame is coated with photo-luminescent powder to make it glow in the dark.
- Can a bike ever be too thin?: The aptly named ThinBike is designed for the urban biker with zero storage space. It features collapsible pedals and handlebars that can be twisted without moving the front tire, allowing the bike to shrink from 21 inches to six inches wide.
- I’m pickin’ up wood vibrations: Okay, this isn’t for everyone, but it sure looks like one sweet ride. It’s a bike handcrafted from ash wood in Spain that demands that you don’t dare wear sweat pants when you climb aboard. Or if your taste in wood runs more tropical, check out the creation of designer Craig Calfee, who has built a bike of bamboo, right down to the spokes.
Video bonus: How could electric bikes not be mainstream if Jay Leno has one? Watch him take it out for a spin.
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Just in terms of anecdotal evidence, my wife considered buying one, but we found out that technically they are illegal in New York City. Not sure how common this is, but outdated laws might be part of the problem here.
Glad you raised that point, Nathan. It is primarily a matter of outdated laws, but there’s also an ongoing debate about electric bikes using bike lanes and if that would make them less safe.
In many parts of the US there is STILL a predjudice against bicycles on the road, and even cyclists in general. That could contribute to slow sales.
Honestly, I’d buy an electric bike in a heartbeat if there were more designated bike lanes. In Los Angeles, aggressive SUV drivers can be deadly.
I’d love to commute on one but our local laws state that I can’t ride a motorized vehicle in a bike path that isn’t parallel to a road. That means I can’t take any of the great bike paths and have to fight Silicon Valley traffic. They even ticket handicapped motorized chairs on the paths.
I have also seen many electric bike on my visits to Beijing.
You mention the cost in the US, but not the cost in China. I think the (relative) cost of the electric bike in China is part of their larger sales (even per capita).
When I researched electric bikes here in the US last summer, I didn’t see a single bike with a reasonable 30 mile range (meaning that it had to be a reasonable speed for the entire 30 miles) that was <$2k, and most of the bikes around $1k did not have the best reviews or build quality.
I don't even spend $1k/year on gas, so I guess that I am looking for an electric bike that is relatively cheap, or at least one that will last for 3-5 years so I can at least break even (can probably only ride for 30-40% of the miles I drive, due to many factors).
I am open to do some more research and possibly buy, any suggestions?
Jake
Jake–Here’s some feedback from Boris Mordkovich, the e-bike entrepreneur mentioned in the post:
“Even though China is blowing the U.S. and Europe out of the water as far as volume is concerned, economies of scale are not the main reason why bikes there are cheaper. Electric bikes in China cost as little as $400 (although one can find e-bikes at this price level in the U.S. too). The main reason for that has to do with the fact that for virtually any goods produced in China, there are 2 markets: domestic and overseas. For domestic markets, cost is the single most important factor. No matter how low quality the goods are, if the price is right, it will sell. Overseas markets, on the other hand, have much higher demands and standards. The products sold in the Chinese market wouldn’t pass the muster here. So the price is generally higher.
Now, the reason why they can do bikes cheaper there has mainly to do with the choice of batteries and other components. The cheap electric bikes use SLA batteries (sealed lead acid). Their advantage is that they are cheap. Their disadvantages is that they are heavy (3-4x heavier than more expensive, lithium ones), they have a much shorter range (~10 miles), they don’t last as long (after a year, you have to replace it), and they require a lot of ongoing maintenance (for example, you have to recharge them right after using them or they will lose capacity).
Batteries aside, cheaper electric bikes also end up cutting corners on regular bike components (breaks, suspension, frame weight, etc.). Just like you can go to Walmart and buy a $150 bike that is designed to last a few months, the cheap lectric bikes are going to be of the same quality. More expensive bikes use Lithium (Ion, Polymer, etc.) batteries and higher end components. Lithium batteries are more expensive -and significantly at that. But they are also lightweight (6-8 pounds), offer a great range (up to 40 miles on a single charge), and have a longer life span (3+ years).
For $1,000, it’s difficult to get a good electric bike. You can certainly buy one for $1,000 – but due to the technology costs, it certainly won’t be top-notch. The main issue is that a cheap bike will have a short range. There is no way around it, unfortunately. Most of the better ones will cost between $1,800 to $2,500, but they have a 30 to 40 mile range. I can name a few: Pedego – from $1,895, A2B Metro – from $2,695 … and, although I am biased as I am one of the co-owners of this company, EVELO (www.evelo.com) – from $1,795.
As far as speed is concerned – there is a Federal consumer law that limits electric bikes to a maximum speed of up to 20 miles per hour in electric-only mode. You can pedal it faster if you wish, but the motor won’t provide assistance at over 20 miles.This is important because this limit allows electric bicycles tobe classified as bicycles, which means: no insurance, license and registration requires and they are generally allowed on bike paths and trails”.
Electric bikes have the same infrastructure issues that other electric vehicles have. And possibly a few more.
The main one everyone seems to ignore, how do you charge it? Electric cars have this same issue. If you live in an apartment complex, or anywhere without a dedicated garage, where do you charge your electric bicycle (or car). Run a cord 200′ to your parking spot, or bicycle rack. Not very practical.
Electric bicycles also weigh more than a regular bicycle, a problem for people who don’t live on the first floor of a building. I can carry my normal bicycle up two flights of stairs, but I wouldn’t be able to carry an electric bicycle.
Electric bicycles have the same problem with poor road design that regular bicycles have. Even bike lanes are not much of a help if you have to deal with multi-lane intersections, on-ramps, off-ramps, etc. To ride my bicycle to work I have to ride through two horrible interchanges.
States need to come up with a standardized definition that allows electric bicycles with a limited speed to be classified as a normal bicycle. In Nevada the law is something like “must have 2 or 3 wheels, functional pedals, and no more than 20MPH”.
Of course, these problems can be overcome. But many won’t be overcome until there are millions of electric bicycles on the road. And there won’t be millions of bicycles on the road until the problems are overcome!
There are a few subtleties not mentioned in this article such as the distinction between pedelecs and e-bikes. The former require the pedals to be turned for electric motor assistance to engage and on this basis they are classed, right across the EU, as non-motorised and can be used in bike lanes etc. EU class homogenisation also restricts e-assist to 15 mph and 200w continuous power so a clear distinction is made between these unlicensed vehicles and twist-and-go electric bikes and mopeds which require licensing, insurance and are not allowed on bike paths / lanes.
This clear legal distinction, across 27 countries, provides a transparent framework for European marketing, sales and public acceptance.
Where to start.
“Okay, there is the price. A good electric bike can start at $1,000,”
Actually an e-bike drive conversion starts at $2,000 for a direct drive you’d want to ride (bionx, E+, etc).
“people most likely to use electric bikes in the U.S. don’t much like them.”
I have an electric bike. It has a 100 watt motor, geared drive, goes 12mph on the flat, a <10 mile range, weighs 100 pounds, has lead acid batteries, and sounds like a blender. I ride almost daily, but never the e-bike. Many of the cheap e-bikes imported over the last 10 years are responsible for the bad karma.
“Most of the people in the U.S. either aren’t familiar with electric bikes or have misconceptions about them, confusing them with scooters, motorcycles and everything in between.”
This goes both ways between riders and other drivers. Pedestrians, police, motorists, and other bicyclists see a “bike” and calibrate for a speed ~12mph. At 20 mph you are too fast for the bike path, too slow for the street. You occupy a no mans land of speed.
Your insurance company doesn’t know what to do about you.
There is a rash of gas powered bicycle conversions spawned by the high price of gas. They are illegal, so you automatically attract police attention if you are not pedaling. You need to memorize or carry a copy of the following vehicle codes unless you want to help the officer look them up at the station.
In California, e-bikes cannot be capable of speeds in excess of 20 mph unassisted;
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d01/vc406.htm
An e-bike capable of more than 20 mph, but not more than 30mph, needs to be licensed by the DMV;
http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg230.pdf
My new BionX is due in two weeks. But, unless you want to wrestle with the schizophrenic e-bike identity, probably better to stay on your Trek, the sidewalk, or in your Corolla.
If e-bikes are illegal in NYC, why do they ticket and fine only the people who use them and not shut down the shops that sell them? You can find these stores all over the city, operating in legitimate storefronts.
It gets tiresome reading these kinds of articles lumping e-bikes with cheap Chinese scooters; the two could not be more different. From what I’ve seen most Chinese are riding e-scooters/mopeds, NOT electric bikes. Go on eBay and you’ll find tons of these faux “e-bikes” for a song. They are simply a feeble attempt to duck motorcycle licensing and registration laws, which is why the cops hate them and why you become a police magnet if you drive one on public roads without plates. Merely sticking a (fairly non-functional) set of pedals on these poseurs doesn’t make them any less of a motor scooter, and the authorities are hip to it. In China they’re becoming both a safety and environmental scourge–read fast careless riders injuring pedestrians and tons of lead acid batteries being dumped every year. Some cities in China have even banned them from certain overcrowded streets.
Real e-bikes in the US, on the other hand, are a small but growing niche, primarily for hobbyists and eco-minded commuters. Yes, a decent e-bike with 25-30 mile range costs in the $3K+ range with lithium battery packs. I’m not sure why this is considered outrageous by some when many high-end non-electric road bikes cost that much or more. I’ve ridden e-bikes as a recreational hobby (and for the exercise) since 1990 and participate in several online forums dedicated to these great machines, which have come a long way from even just six years ago. Most of my fellow e-bikers are very eco-minded and a fair number use their bikes for commuting. Something to be said for zero emissions combined with fresh air and exercise.
the flat out single issue here is it most areas in the USA there simply nowhere to ride as we have roads that are from 25-70 here and bike paths and lanes they would work in but banned from
till that changes sales will not boom
Here in New Jersey they classify electric bikes as Mopeds requiring registration and insurance. Not as a bicycle.
Yep – the problem is legal IMHO. I would own one already but they have deemed fit to classify an electric bike going 20mph or less under full power even with pedal assist at the same time as a motor vehicle, barring it from bike paths where a fit road bike user would go as fast or faster.
I could commute in safety on a bike path near my home but riding my regular bike I get too sweaty, etc., and the powers that be would apparently rather put me in a car smogging up the air than risk me going the same speed as a road bike already goes on the same path.
In San Francisco I and MANY other people have been repeatedly ticketed and have our e-bike towed immediately in bike lanes. It is legal to ride them in the bike lane, but whatever the cop says goes every time. Tickets be thrown out of court everytime, but you still have to go to court, pay for towing, pay for transit to retrieve, and pay crazy impound fees. This is a lot of trouble. It is a lot more trouble if you don’t have sales receipt for the bike to prove its yours. This costs a day of standing in line and around $300-1500(tow+impound)!!! This and theft are VITAL reasons to avoid e-bikes until cops are controlled and will agree to read law on phone/computer before writing bad tickets!
I used to bike the trails around Henderson Nevada then got an e bike as I got older. What a nightmare. the dealer assured me I could use my ebike any place a regular bicycle is used. People would scream at me to get off the trails. They were very nasty even though my ebike is safer with better controls than their 21 etc speed bikes. People were ignorant and screamed, “it has a motor, get it off the trails”. So I am left with no place to ride it but dangerous city streets,
Roger