How many ebikes are replacing cars?

[Caph]

I was just wondering how many ebikes are being purchased to replace cars.

I use my ebike almost exlusively as a replacement to a car now i.e. I full throttle in to work, exercise is irrelevant to me, to get there as quickly as possible with as little exertion as possible. If I go to the shops it's the same thing, I get there on full throttle with as little user input as possible and as quickly as possible, load up the panniers and then get back in the same manner. If I didn't have the ebike I'd have got a car again by now.

How many others can say hand on heart that their ebike has replaced a car?

I'm not knocking ebikes being used as supplements to cycling for whatever reason, they are truly great for that, it's purely curiosity about ebikes surplanting cars on my part. And by the way my partner has a car so I have access to a car when really necessary so don't think I'm being holier than thou because I'm not!

 

[hihihi]

A former non-bicyclist, I added the pedelec as a means of transport. Wouldn't be without a car, but prefer to cycle locally and when it's dry.
The novelty doesn't seem to wear off.

 

[daudi]

I don't have a car and am hoping that my e-bike means I won't need to get one. I'm using it for commuting to work and have started using it to go to the local town for shopping (instead of taking the bus). My commute is too long and difficult to be possible with an ordinary bike (at least too difficult for me), but having an e-bike makes it possible.

On days we need to travel longer distances we can hire a car or use public transport (such as it is in the south east). I have twins boys aged 6 who are now really enjoying cycling and my wife is now getting into cycling (this is a major shift; 6 months ago I would have bet a very large amount of money that she would never been seen on a bike) so I am hoping that we can start going places as a family by bike.

So for me the e-bike is a key part of my not-getting-a-car strategy. I'm not anti-car per se (I have a 1964 Triumph TR4A somewhere and am an avid follower of the Grand Prix) but think that bikes of all kinds should form a larger part of the transport environment.

 

[Scottyf]

It's replaced my car. But I still have it. Just not used it's since feb. Seriously don't need it.

We have two cars and if I want to drive I use my partners 107 that gets 60mpg. An I hardly ever use it.
She needs a car to commute daily from Birmingham to Coventry.
We live in the city and my ebike means no petrol costs or parking hassles. We also only have one car parking space. So I've given my car to my mum to use.

Maybe I'll sell it soon (my car not my mom) and buy another bike. But for now very happy with the ebike as a commuting tool. Saved me a fortune.

 

[x332race]

I am hoping that an e-bike will supplement my car. I need my car for longer journeys and work related trips (I work from home mainly) but I do a lot of short trips each week to the stables where our horse is kept, shops, bank etc for which I should really use a bike (they are all less than 4 miles each way) but as it is hilly round here, I find using a normal bike too much like hard work, especially carrying anything. An e-bike should give me no excuse not to use it and I am hoping to reduce my short car journeys considerable.

Also I have a solar PV installation on my roof and it makes sense to make use of this "free" electricity to charge an e-bike.

 

[jerrysimon]

My EBromton has knocked about 3K millage off my car per year and transformed my daily commute. Car mostly gets used for long journeys and at weekends only.

I can't see a time when I will never use a car though.

Regards

Jerry

 

[catsnapper]

We started a six month trial of being car free around 3 years ago. As we live in the centre of a small town with an excellent range of shops, ours cars were getting very little use. Widespread parking restrictions around the local area made leaving the car at home the best option.

I'm an experienced cyclist and had a couple of non-electric bikes, but age and plenty of 15% plus slopes meant my range was limited, so e-power looked a promising addition.

Experiments building a couple of folding 26" bikes with Tongxin motors were good, but not ideal for a wide range of uses.
Next came a cargo bike - a Kona Ute and my first use of the Bafang BPM rear hub.
Although useful for getting DIY bits and pieces it didn't get much use as personal transport as my e-BMX with a small battery pack was easier to use and park if I was doing local trips.

My wife isn't a confident cyclist, but she's quite happy playing at stoker on a tandem, so the next bike was a lightweight tandem with a rear BPM hub. As our combines weight is only 110 Kg this worked surprisingly well, getting up local hills with only moderate assistance.
I'm now building another tandem using a Ezee motor, a bottle battery for short local trips and the addition of a larger Ping battery for longer trips.
A lightweight solo e-bike based on an On-One Pompino frame is also being built - I just need to decide on a motor for it.

The e-bikes don't do everything, but so far I've not needed to hire a car - for those trips a couple of local cab drivers are very cheap and happy to wait around. The local bus service to the main town with a fast commuter train service into London is usually reliable.

I've no idea how much money we've saved compared to still owning the cars, but so far it's been a cheaper, healthier and enjoyable option. Plus a lot of fun....

 

[miker71]

My bike replaced my car as local runabout. We were a two car family - now we have one car.

The financial freedom of the ebike (after initial purchase) is great - I hope they don't become too popular else they may become viewed as a source of revenue to HMRC, beyond the VAT payments on associated parts.

The freedom of riding on the road, or riding on the pavement, or through the woods, that's great too.

I do have a longer term view of perhaps stepping back into the world of tax and insurance by getting an escooter in a few years once they've matured and gained longer ranges - I don't know what torque is like on those things either, I'd hate to get caught pushing an escooter up Portsdown Hill ...

 

[Scottyf]

E-scooter or motorbike would work well. Its just a bigger platform than a bike.
I've toyed with the idea of making one but keep thinknig the simplicity of a bicycle is about as easy as it gets.

The things would be so relaible as well providing you have enough battery power.
You could even add a top box to extend the range if it had batteries in it.

 

[daudi]

[...] I've no idea how much money we've saved compared to still owning the cars, but so far it's been a cheaper, healthier and enjoyable option. Plus a lot of fun....

I agree that's it healthier and fun. I've now completed my first month commuting, cycling 3 or 4 days a week as I ease into it. I'm keeping a track of when I use my e-bike and using google map's estimate of fuel cost so far I've saved £101. Compared to using public transport I've saved £180.

 

[eclectic_bike]

It's replaced my car which was finally scrapped a few months ago. Now free of VED, petrol costs, insurance, MOT, repairs and gets me fitter.

 

[wurly]

I can't manage without a car tbh. Ebikes are great for commuting or short journeys. What my bike has done, is reduce the amount of miles i drive in a year.
I know exactly how much my car costs me per year and it's still good value for money. When car ownership gets too expensive then that will be the day it's gone. Our ebikes have paid for themselves, no doubt.
The problem is...i actually like my cars (yes plural).
I have a 1958 Beetle, a 1932 V8 Ford Roadster and i'm building a 1932 Ford Tudor sedan with Chevy V8. There you go, my cover is blown, (but i did sell my 1200 Suzuki).
The daily (or i should say weekly) is a diesel Passat Estate workhorse returning 55miles to the gallon. I'd have to have about 5 ebikes to replace all my internal combustion engined toys!