Do you think that e-bikes have a role to play in sustainable transport in the UK?

[essexman]

Yes. Hugely. Even the dutch think so, where ebike sales are canniblaisng conventional bikes.

I partly blame the UK ebike shops AND the UK bike shops. I think they need to be much more direct in their sales and in thsi day and age spell out the true costs of not cycling.

If i stood with a big sign saying.
Save £850 per year on parking alone (plus potentially £1000s more if you only use your car to drive here) a laptop and a demo ebike in every UK rail station that is on a UK commuter line (particularly the London lines) i could shift a lot of ebikes in a week per station. I've often thought an commision based sales model where anyone could apply to be an advocate would help shift a lot of bikes. There must be examples from other businesses.

I've got people cycling by sitting down with pen and paper and showing them how much it costs to drive to the station and park for 2 years.

[Jack.Eagle]

To summaries what has been said so far:

-yes if cycle infrastructure improves
-more cycle training is needed
-green electricity will help e-bikes become a lot more sustainable
-recycling of batteries is important
-petrol prices will help push people to more sustainable forms of transport
-people need to be made aware of the money savings that using an e-bike can play
-congestion will mean that more people will use e-bikes

many thanks for all the comments and I look forward to hearing more.

cheers

Jack

[essexman]

Just a comment on the safety issue. It is a barrier, but one that i've found has never stopped anyone i know, because its a 'false barrier' not a real one.

I've convinced people to cycle by demonstrating how expesnive it is to NOT cycle.

I've also convinced people that it is far more dangerous NOT to cycle. The stats bear this out.

Ignorance is a big barrier. Education is the key.

[halfmedley]

Only a very minor part. Two wheeled transport will never appeal to the majority: too dangerous (e.g. bad drivers, icy roads); too dirty (e.g. chains coming off, punctures); poor weather (not Britain's strong point); poor facilities (eg lack of showers, changing rooms at the workplace); too inflexible (a car can transport multiple combinations of people and stuff, a bike can't); limited range.

Government budget should be entirely focussed on sorting out public transport; the ebike business should be a purely commercial enterprise.

[JohnInStockie]

I think so. We need to be able to provide a safe, reliable, cost effective and resource friendly means of transport that still give the individual their 'freedom' to travel whenever and wherever that wish too and encourages a healthy lifestyle.

Public transport cannot achieve this, and neither can the motor industry.

I think the government should do its job and govern the direction fo the country, and this is the best direction that we can go in.

John

[mikepepler]

I reckon as Peak Oil keeps driving fuel prices higher and higher in years to come there'll be massive demand for electric bikes, just on the basis of cost, never mind the environmental benefits.

[rsscott]

Originally Posted by mikepepler

I reckon as Peak Oil keeps driving fuel prices higher and higher in years to come there'll be massive demand for electric bikes, just on the basis of cost, never mind the environmental benefits.

That presents a new challenge in that currently nearly all bikes are produced in Asia and then shipped across to the UK!

[Saddlesore]

The answer to the question is a most definite yes.

Since becoming an e-biker I have become quite enthusiastic about the appeal of this form of sustainable transport having supported Sustrans for years.

In fact I would broaden the question in regard to all types of electric transport as bikes will always have a limited appeal and my limited experience of this mode of power would encourage me to try electric cars if they could be built in sufficient numbers to benefit from scale of production as they are far too expensive to consider at present.

If the Government bites the bullet and opts for a rolling programme of Nuclear Power Stations in addition to the alternative technologies being employed so that we are self sufficient in energy ( electrical) demand then I see an excellent future for all types of electrical transport - bikes, cars, lorries, trains.