“So now consider the electric bike. A bike is a wonderful thing, but it’s tended to be a sporting good—we’re a big sprawling country, and because, postwar, we built it on a suburban model things tend to be car distances apart. But now you can use an electric bike to make many of those trips, because it erases hills and allows you to tow three bags of groceries. And when you do, you get some exercise, and you get the wind in your face, and it’s a little like being a kid. You don’t have to do it every day—sometimes it rains and sometimes it snows and sometimes you don’t have the time, which is why I imagine that there will be EVs for a while. But you can do it 70% of the time, and I am willing to bet you will be happier for it. (Willing to bet because I have data: exercise makes you happy, and being outdoors makes you happy.)
It’s good that the Inflation Reduction Act will help people purchase EVs. (Here in Vermont state subsidies are aimed directly at middle and low income people, which makes sense). It’s a shame that the Manchin stripped subsidies for electric bikes from the bill, but enlightened cities and states are stepping in to fill the need. Delight needs to be affordable.” – From Crucial Years (10/1/2022) Bill McKibben.
Choosing to bike or walk for your shorter trips can simultaneously improve your health, save money, and reduce your carbon footprint. By bicycling rather than riding a car just once a day, you can reduce your carbon emissions from transportation by 67%, and riding a bicycle has health benefits of $435 billion per year. Changes in urban design and urban densification, and investing in walkable communities and infrastructure like bike lanes is crucial for encouraging cycling and walking. Some states and cities are implementing electric bike rebates.
