ebikes

How can they help you save money and reduce emissions?

Cycling is a fun, healthy activity and every trip on a bike is one less car on our roads. Every time you replace a car trip with a bike trip, you are saving money and reducing emissions from the use of fossil fuels.

An ebike provides active transport to replace many car trips, including:

• Supermarket shopping trips, carrying up to 60kg

• School drop offs and pickups using a child seat

• Local trips to gyms, coffee shops and social visits

• Recreational rides with family and friends on bike paths and roads.

If over a year you ride 1,000km rather than driving and your car uses 10 litres of fuel per 100km, travelling on an ebike would save 100 litres of fuel, $200 ($2 per litre) and 231kg of carbon emissions. There will also be many health benefits.

How do I get one?

It is best to purchase an ebike from a bicycle store that provides servicing and after sales support. 

If you are not ready to buy an ebike or don’t want to outlay a large amount of money upfront, you can buy a conversion kit for around $1,000 to retrofit your existing bike. You can also explore short or long-term rental options.

Tips for purchasing an ebike:

• The indicative price for a quality ebike with local service and support is $3,000+

• Avoid purchasing a cheap ebike as the motor may not be repairable in Australia and there are safety concerns with some cheap batteries

• Check whether the motor can be serviced locally

• Look for secure parking locations and use a good quality lock

• A pack rack is handy for carrying shopping.

Resources:

• Boroondara Bicycle User Group

• Bicycle riding in Boroondara

• Bicycle Network - Intro to ebikes

• Bicycle Network - ebike overview

Thank you to the Boroondara Bicycle Users’ Group for letting us use their text and image.