this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2024
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Fuck Cars

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[–] [email protected] 60 points 7 months ago (1 children)

You get about 150 E-bikes out of the cells used for a car

[–] [email protected] 40 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Electric bikes have become really popular and common here in Denmark. I only have around 5km to work, so no need for an electric one, but if I had perhaps 20km to work, I’d buy an electric bicycle instantly.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

I have 30km to work and it's along high speed roads. Electric bike is unsuitable and will eat about an hour each way. With the shifts I do I can't compromise my precious home hours.

Some people need traditional cars and I'm one of them. I won't share my job but before you say I should move job I really can't lol.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I’m not saying it’s the optimal solution for everyone, nothing is.

[–] msage 5 points 7 months ago

Redesigning cities to be circular with frequent public transports around and in between the circles would be optimal

[–] [email protected] 26 points 7 months ago (2 children)

E-bikes are probably around 100 times more economical than e-cars so it makes sense that they are much more impactful simply because so many more people can afford them.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 7 months ago (2 children)

The raw electricity usage is ~25 times lower for E-Bikes. And that is not counting in the 2 ton weight difference with all this steel, battery cells, electronics etc.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 7 months ago (2 children)

The lower weight and size also has significant external benefits, because roads need less maintenance and don't need to be as big (that means less taxes for the owning classes in the back).

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago

I'd imagine it's quite a bit fewer tire micro-plastics too.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

we talking about the "fourth power law" (damage to roadway is weight to the power of 4)?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago (2 children)

The initial cost too. U can get an ebike for like 1500€ but u gotta pay like 60000€ or more for an electric car. Also insurance, maintainance, parking, etc

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I just read about an Chinese (maybe govt subsidised) EV for 15 000 USD. Even in EU you're starting to see 35k€ EVs

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Yeah, BYD is massively subsidized by the government, mainly to try to destroy the western EV market. I'm really on the fence on that one. On the one hand, I'd like our car Industry to be a bit more disruptive and come up with cheaper solutions (fuck SUVs, the German car Industry is just making huge luxury cars that are way too expensive, both capex and opex wise). On the other hand, I don't want Winny the Pooh gaining influence on the west.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (4 children)

100 is a bit much, a good ebike can cost several thousands. IMHO the main driver for adoption is the availability of dedicated infrastructure. I can afford an EV but chose to use a bike because the infrastructure is excellent where I live and it allows me to avoid traffic and congestion.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

My old shitty car cost 2,5 times as much as my really nice ebike. Both bought used. I used to pay around 200€ a month for fuel and there is also insurance. My ebike right now costs me about a handful of euros in fuel each month and I don't have to take extra time for exercise out of my day. So a hundred times more efficient isn't even that high.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Do we have a Kelly blue book for ebikes?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Maybe its a bit much but as i said in the other reply, you need:

  • a parking space
  • insurance
  • maintainance
  • eventually very costly battery replacement

All of these are either not necessaey or muuuch cheaper for bikes. These are also recurring costs that together could pay for a whole new e bike every few months.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

We need to push for easier ebike carriage and charging on trains, also investment in lowering the cost of home delivery through an efficient postal service otherwise most people will still see a benefit to owning a car.

Of course families with kids are hard to convince entirely but with safe and comfortable cycling infrastructure they can be a lot less car dependent especially if bike to rail to bike is easy and affordable.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

100 is a bit much, a good ebike can cost several thousands

Right, but it has much lower ongoing costs (less electricity or fuel, no/cheap insurance, no registration, minimal maintenance). 100 times cheaper is probably a bit hyperbolic, but not by that much.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Why wouldn't an ebike be riding in traffic?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

Why would it be? Do you think they mean electric motorcycle? They're referring to electric bicycles

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

They're limited to 20km/h. Where I live they are allowed on the roads just like human powered bikes, but they prefer to be on separated paths just like HPVs

[–] [email protected] 25 points 7 months ago (4 children)

I've honestly been considering giving up my car for an electric scooter for the summer - my wife will keep her car, so we can still go to places with the family, but I don't need a car for my work commute. At the same time, I'm too lazy to wake up early enough to walk.

Helps that I live in a medium sized European town. Escooters and bikes are very viable - and you can rent them for a low fee too, from multiple providers (I do wish they didn't each require their own app, but of course they do).

[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Do it! Just think of all the insurance, gas and repair money you'll save.

I'd personally advise for an e bike rather than a scooter since it's more versatile and allows you to put bags on it to transport stuff, but that's personal preference of course.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

There's no cargo scooters?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah households don't really need two cars, drop it down to one.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

We have plenty of scenarios where two cars make sense, but for a while we can do without.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

I took it as as a challenge and just started collecting scooter rental apps

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Try out a rental and see how you feel about it. Keep in mind that even a bike with worse specs will probably be better due to not being used and abused by tons of people and proper bike fit also makes things infinitely better.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

I've taken the local rental scooters a bunch of times, they're great utility, but quite worn. I used to cycle a bunch, but for short distances I actually prefer the scooter.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

My dream vehicle: electric tadpole velomobile. Efficient, stable even in winter conditions, weather protection. Unfortunately unaffordable at the moment, prices starting at around 9000€. Plus living in a condo storing one safely while not in use is a difficult endeavor.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah someone in my building lost their fancy mountain bike, eventhough it was behind a thick locked door that only people with a key thingie can get inside with.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Probably would have been safer to put it outside on a proper bike rack with u-lock and cable

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I live in Chicago.

I'm not gonna say there's no reason to have a car, but I see no reason for the average Chicagoan to own a car.

The CTA is actually pretty reliable overall The streets are comparatively bikeable The Divvy System (bike share) is well layer out.

Make America Multimodal Again. This. Shit. Works.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

I got a bike for <10km flat trips (30 min).

An ebike for longer (10-20km), or hilly, or carrying stuffs trips, or very hot days.

A trailer for groceries.

And I don't like to exercise! But I clearly saw an improvement on my physical and mental health.

My wife as her car for longer trips or when we have to move all family.

Thing is we have a fairly good bike infrastructure (bike lanes everywhere and some bike roads), but not good enough for kids or people who are afraid to share road with cars.

We need more bike-friendly roads (low speed on separated lanes), and make people conscious that car is not mandatory most of time.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I live in one of the most dense cities in the world. I own an ebike, electric scooter board, and an ICE Toyota sienta(basically a shrunken Senna). All 3 vehicles serve a purpose.

Within 10 minutes? Walk.

Between 10-20 minutes walk, electric scooter board

From 20-30 walk, e bike

Over 30 min walk, car.

In-between these, I take the bus or subway, if the stop is close to the station.

Basically, every vehicle has a purpose. Adding an ebike might be good to have in addition to your ICE vehicle.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Which city? Because for most of the densest I'd say 30 mins would be way to bother with a car, and if you're actually living in the city you wouldn't even own a car but maybe taxi makes sense for some journeys.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

I live in Taipei.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

I see so many ebikes and escooters pop up is there a reason for this? Are people getting them because there's some incentive out there or is it because they're just a cheap way to commute?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

To echo the OP's reply below, there are a lot of different reasons combining right now to make them popular.

One of the factors that has improved the most over the last 5 years is how much more access people have to safe and cheap optons. Buying a cheaper e-bike even just 5-6 years ago had you gambling on components and hoping your battery and charger were certified and sourced reputably. And, while you could order online, the experience wasn't always great.

Nowadays it seems like almost everything has certified chargers and batteries, and the overall build quality of cheap bikes and scooters (bikes especially) has improved as well.

Combine that with being able to order a bike or scooter online, ship it to your door in just a week or two, and get going with minimal assembly and adjustment. Boom, that's an attractive option, even before you hit incentives. E-bikes and scooters are so insanely cheap to own and operate compared to a car (even a super cheap car) so it just makes a ton of sense that people would choose them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Hard to comment on incentives without knowing what part of the world you're in, but yeah they're much cheaper than cars, less effort to use than standard bikes, and in cities can be the fastest way to get around a lot of the time.

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