Why Electric Bikes Are the Next Big Thing in Transportation

E-Bikes are the next big thing in transportation.
The New York Times reports that e-bikes “represent the largest-ever adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles — far more prevalent than electric cars.” At Faraday, we recognize that the movement needs more than clunky, heavy bikes to take off with the same voracity in the United States as it has in China and Europe. The US rider demands a bike that looks classy and rides well with or without the electric assist engaged.
The e-bike market is certainly here to say, as Pike Research reports that sales of electric bikes will reach $6.9 billion this year, with growth well above $10 billion in the next half decade. According to the Times, “In Germany, e-bike sales have soared from about 25,000 in 2005 to 300,000 last year” and “more than 105,000 e-bikes will be sold in the United States this year…with sales more than tripling by 2018”.

This level of widespread adoption marks a change in tide for commuters, errand-runners, and exercisers everywhere. E-bikes finally have the range and power to compete with driving alternatives such as motor scooters and bus riding, as well as with driving itself. The 2013 Porteur’s large removable front rack and supportive double top tube mean carrying significant loads home from the grocery store is more than possible, it’s pleasurable. And the bike’s conventional size, 10-15 mile range and 45min recharge time allow it to fit seamlessly into our riders’ busy lives.
At the end of the day, e-bikes may make sense for dozens of practical reasons, but people invariably enjoy the ride more than regular biking. Watching their reactions is the best part of our jobs here at Faraday, for as the Times discovered, riders simply “come back beaming like a kid who just got training wheels off.”
See the full NY Times article and sign up for Faraday Bike’s newsletter to stay informed!