2023-11-20 05:11:37
There are some things that electric bikes and scooters are better than electric cars. They displace four times the demand for oil from all electric vehicles in the world – and that’s just one of the benefits. If we want to go shopping or take the children to school, we just jump into the car and we’re ready to go. This is a convenient solution, but such short journeys matter a lot in terms of emissions, environmental pollution and petrol costs. Almost half (44%) of Australian commuters always travel by car; even if the destination is within 10 km. In Perth, for example, people make 4.2 million daily car journeys. More than half of them are shorter than 2 km. This phenomenon is especially common in richer countries. In the United States, more than half (60 percent!) of car journeys are less than 10 km long. So what would be the solution? No matter where you look at it, the transition to an electric vehicle seems the most obvious. The truth is that using an electric bicycle or moped for short trips would be much more beneficial not only for people, but also for the planet. In addition, these means of transport – which are collectively known as electric micromobility – can be purchased and operated more cheaply. But we can talk about much bigger benefits. In fact, they use four times as much oil as all the electric cars currently in use in the world. In China and other countries where mopeds are now an everyday means of transportation, electric vehicles have spread to an astonishing extent. How is it possible? Last year, there were more than 20 million electric vehicles and 1.3 million commercial electric vehicles (buses, vans and trucks) on the world’s roads. Vehicles with four or more wheels are completely overshadowed by two- and three-wheelers. Last year, more than 280 million electric mopeds, scooters, motorcycles and tricycles were on the roads. Their use already reduces demand for oil by one million barrels per day – roughly 1 percent of total world oil demand, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates. But what about electric vehicles? Because they have no exhaust emissions, they have been seen as a panacea for reducing emissions and air pollution. In addition, if they are powered by renewable energy, they will be even greener. But we’re wrong if we think electric cars are perfect. Although these are cleaner, they are still the same as cars on the road, which also require a lot of electricity to operate. Because of the batteries, they are heavier than a conventional vehicle. Although EVs are generally much more environmentally friendly than cars powered by an internal combustion engine, the manufacture of batteries can undermine some of their benefits – the rare earth metals needed to use them can cause environmental damage during extraction. Of course, there are positives. Fuel costs for petrol cars are around AUD 0.14 per kilometre, which for an average car driven 12,000 km translates into fuel costs of around $1,820 per year. Maintenance costs an average of $910 per year, totaling $2,730 for a gasoline car. By contrast, an electric car would cost about $480 to charge over that distance. The maintenance cost of $240 is $720 per year. EVs are therefore much cheaper to operate, but they are not cheap fun to buy. What are the advantages of electric mopeds and bicycles? The electric transport revolution is a great opportunity to rethink how we move around our habitat. We should consider whether we need the car at all, in which we often travel alone. We put a lot of energy into transporting ourselves. In contrast, electric mopeds and bicycles use much less energy to transport one or two people. Plus, they’re much cheaper to buy and run than electric cars. (The price of e-bikes depends mostly on the quality of the parts and the power of the motor. The higher the quality of the parts and the more powerful the motor, the more expensive the e-bike is.) If someone commutes 20 km a day on an e-bike, five days a week through, charging costs around $20 per year. In Australia, electric bicycles have very quickly progressed from hobby devices to a serious means of urban transport. More than 100,000 e-bikes were sold there last year. Of course, it is unlikely that someone will travel from Sydney to Melbourne on an electric moped or bicycle. Their real use is during short trips or commuting. The journey thus approx. it takes the same time (or less) than a car. When it comes to just going really short distances… Smaller electric options like scooters and skateboards are also a solution to the “last mile” problem plaguing public transport systems. This is essentially the distance between home and the station or bus stop. If this distance can be covered quickly, it could change public transport. In addition, traffic jams and parking problems can be avoided in metropolitan environments. If electric micromobility becomes widespread, it can reduce urban emissions. According to a study of e-scooter riders in the UK, these routes produce up to 45 percent less carbon dioxide than other alternatives. According to American researchers, if e-bike trips accounted for 11 percent of all vehicle trips, emissions from road traffic would decrease by about 7 percent. As gasoline prices rise and battery prices fall, the cost of electric vehicles and the even lower operating costs of electric mopeds, bicycles and scooters will continue to reduce demand for oil. The International Energy Agency predicts that global oil demand will peak at 105.7 million barrels per day in 2028 and begin to decline thereafter. Electric vehicles will play a role in reducing oil demand. But it may well be that electric micromobility will reduce demand more quickly, given how quickly these cheaper options are proliferating. E-cycling is also growing by leaps and bounds in Hungary. Electric bicycles are also becoming increasingly popular in Hungary. Not only are they easier to ride and you can get to your destination faster, but they also lure people back into the saddle who were unable to enjoy the joy of cycling without forgetting before. The pandemic increased the interest in cycling and since then this trend has continued; the sale of electric bicycles has also been on the rise since 2020. During the pandemic, not only the number of cyclists increased, but also bicycle sales: in 2021, there was an online store where bicycle sales increased by more than 20 percent. Last year, around 270,000 bicycles were sold in Hungary, of which 20,000 were e-bikes, so it can be said that the interest in electric bicycles has grown the most within the category. The increased purchase was also helped by the use of state subsidies. While two years ago, 6,800 e-bikes were purchased with the state subsidy, last year ten thousand bicycles with electric assistance, i.e. pedelecs, could also be purchased from this subsidy. What does this mean for me? If you want an electric drive, it’s worth taking a close look at your transportation needs. For those living in the suburbs or a small town, an electric car may be more ideal due to its greater range and capacity. Some people use several options in this area. Sometimes someone uses an electric vehicle for longer or group trips, but at the same time uses an e-bike to go to school or go shopping.
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