From Guest Blogger Dimitris Papadopoulos: Are Electric Bikes Really Green?

An electric bike is used just like a traditional bicycle, as essentially it’s exactly like a traditional bicycle to which we have mounted motor and a battery. Simply due to this an electric bike can be just as green as any regular bike. What’s important is it remains green even while using its electric functions. Let’s take a closer look at why they’re green and why we should use them.

With an electric bicycle you can make longer journeys than with a normal bike and at a faster speed. For these and other reasons, electric bicycles are used every day by millions of users, so this is already the transport of the present, not the future.  (I don’t understand this, Dimitris.  More people are using ebikes every day; they’re increasingly offsetting the use of cars; that affects the future. -ed)

Until the mid-20th century, bicycle was one of the most widespread transport vehicles in Europe, but as a result of the increase in purchasing power and the strength of the automotive sector, they were marginalized, maintaining their use for leisure and sports.

The changing mentality of citizens, coupled with the need to seek a faster and more economical means of transport in the collapsed cities, is contributing to the recovery of the bicycle.

Many cities around the world are making large investments in infrastructure to place the bicycle as a means of personal transport, since if we consider that most cars carry a single person, it is much more efficient and with a far smaller environmental impact. You can cycle through bike lanes, parks, pedestrian zones and even streets thanks to road style electric bikes. Finally, if you wish you can disconnect the electric motor, since the bike can work equally without it.

The first electric bikes were built in the second half of the nineteenth century, but very few units could be seen in the market. More than a century later, electric bicycles are an unexpected success. At the beginning, they were aimed at people with advanced age or mobility problems, but today they have become a more widespread social phenomenon.

The main reasons for their success have to do with how green they are! It is a means of transport that does not contaminate. They are quiet, light, ecological, agile, healthy, very pleasant to use and also, contribute to making cities more liveable.

In addition to their sustainability they also save a lot of money. You will not find a more economical motor vehicle. The cost of recharging is insignificant. Recharging instead of buying gasoline is far more economic.

The combination of the electric motor’s strength and the cyclist’s pedalling, allows the movement to be fun, comfortable and for all. It feels as if someone is pushing you constantly, allowing you to enjoy the environment you move in.

Another fact that makes electric bikes really green is that recharging them is comfortable. The batteries are removable and you can charge comfortably in your house. They are also easily recyclable which means further decrease in pollution and waste.

This type of vehicle is aimed at people who want to contribute to the care of the planet, avoiding the generation of pollution in their hands.