Research Shows the US is Ready to Embrace E-bikes

People are switching from cars to e-bikes faster than ever before. This is changing what our cities look like. We’d like to share data about the impact VanMoof riders are making.
The research from VanMoof can be found here
Americans take the longest trips of all e-bike users around the world, averaging 45 minutes per round trip, according to rider data from Dutch e-bike manufacturer VanMoof.
Their new microsite encourages people to rethink how they get around, by letting them explore how e-bike riders are making an impact around the world. Choose a country and see how riders and local government are changing the countries and cities of tomorrow.
The research from VanMoof can be found here, via a link to our project page:
Our data shows the US is ready to embrace e-bikes
 
US e-bike riders stand out in comparison to the rest of the world:
  • The average distance covered per e-bike round trip in the US is 7.16 miles, 1.92 miles more than the average e-bike round trip in the rest of the world
  • The average time per round trip in the US is 45 minutes, 11.6 minutes more than the average time per round trip in the rest of the world
  • American VanMoof riders stopped 118.3 tonnes of CO2 emissions from being released over the last year
  • In 2020, VanMoof’s US sales increased by 120% year-on-year as people rediscovered bicycles as a safe alternative to public transport
 

A heat map shows the geographical distribution of riders around the US

 
How the bike landscape is changing in the US
There are more and more investments in sustainable mobility across the US right now:
  • Los Angeles has built 1,190 miles of bike lanes, specifically designed for e-bike commuters to glide through the hills and valleys
  • Another bike friendly city is Washington DC, where cyclists can enjoy 48 miles of bike lanes stretching across the city for a healthy, eco-friendly commute
  • The federal government is now working on the E-BIKE Act, meaning 30% tax credit for e-bike purchases
Bicycle Image courtesy of Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
Taco Carlier, co-founder of VanMoof, said the following:

“E-bikes make everyone healthier. They reduce society’s reliance on cars and lower greenhouse gas emissions. They increase productivity and space in our cities. They transform commuting from the worst part of your day into the best. As we look towards a post-Covid future, they will play a central role in our green recovery.”

Bicycle Image courtesy of Kyle Field, CleanTechnica

Why the future of VanMoof belongs to e-bikes

When Carl Benz received approval for his first gas-powered vehicle in 1886, nobody could have known we would find ourselves in a climate change emergency 135 years later. In The United States alone, 411 grams of CO2 emissions are currently emitted per mile driven by car. Our cities are too polluted, we need cleaner alternatives.

The research and cartoon images courtesy of  VanMoof
Bicycle Images courtesy of Kyle Field, CleanTechnica

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