Electric Bicycles: Environmental Benefits

Gas-powered cars are the primary source of air pollution in the United States. In addition to their effect on our health, exhaust gases and particles from cars do extensive damage to crops, vegetation, and wildlife. In particular, motor vehicles are a significant source of water pollution. Oil, antifreeze, and small tire particles accumulate on roads and highways; during the rainy season, they are washed into our streams and waterways, causing damage to aquatic life. In the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the leading sources of metallic pollution in the bay is copper from auto brake pads. Finally, noise pollution from automotive traffic additionally stresses our lives.

Even after counting emissions from power plants, electric bicycles are factor 10 less polluting than gas vehicles. For every 500 miles an electric bike is used in place of a car, an average of 25 gallons of fuel is saved - and this much pollution is prevented:
3.42 pounds of hydrocarbons
25.28 pounds of carbon monoxide
1.77 pounds of nitrogen oxides
[Calculating emissions is an inherently tricky business. There are so many variables that there are no exact numbers in this game. The numbers here were calculated by David Swain, an engineer at the US EPA's Ann Arbor Mobile Emissions Laboratory. An alternative emission factor, listed as the "EPA Mobile 4.1 Model," that cites Carbon Monoxide levels emitted by the average car as 65.3 grams per mile. Using this number the CO savings after 500 miles would be approximately 70 pounds!]

Or you could go pollution free by fueling your Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) with electricity purchased from a "green" power company. Some electric companies supply most or all of their power from wind, sun, or falling water ("green" power). Starting April 1, 1998, Californians can choose their electric utility. You and I can "vote with our dollars" for green power. Here are two websites that review green power companies:

http://www.ceert.org/links.html and http://www.nrdc.org/worldview/fwguid.html

Your investment in an electric bike can pay dividends beyond U. S. borders. Your purchase supports the growth of an industry that could make a big difference in developing countries. For example, as its economy prospers, China is in the unique position to skip the polluting gas moped and scooter phase altogether and leapfrog directly from human-powered bikes to clean electric vehicles. The pollution savings are staggering, far beyond what the U.S. could alone.

Scientific opinion is clear and close to unanimous that global warming is already happening. CO2 is the main culprit. For every mile a car travels, approximately one pound of CO2 enters the atmosphere. For background info on global warming and the process scientists used to conclude its truth, check

http://www.law.pace.edu/env/energy/debateintro.html

The Federal government's EPA site focuses on the science and impacts of global warming or climate change, and on actions by governments, corporations, and individuals that help address global warming issues. The site also features climate change related news, events, publications, reports, presentations, and links to other sites. http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming
Other climate-related sites:
www.iclei.org
www.globalcities.org
www.davidsuzuki.org Economist Statement on Climate Change
**** Building one car uses as much material as it takes to make 100 bicycles. (CA Bicycle Coalition)****
Short trips account for most of the cars on the road and most of our air pollution. So, for the health of the planet, leave your car at home and ride your electric bike. "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

A New Way of Transport

We invite you to dream of a new clean, green, pollution free city.

Introducing a radically new way of transport

Ask someone about electric vehicles, and he says "it's a good idea, but, you know, the battery technology is still a problem !"
Well, the good news is that now the affordable electric vehicle is here today, as an electric bicycle.
There is a story that Thomas Edison promised Henry Ford a battery and a motor that would be practical for an auto, back in the 1930s. "70 years later," said Lee Iacocca, "we still don't have it." Iacocca is right. Electric cars are temptingly near, but still in the future.

The most popular vehicle in the world today is the bicycle. There are almost 145 crore bicycles in use today, and only about 33 crore cars. Far more people use a bicycle than a car. (one Crore= 10 Million)
Electric bicycles can go farther than conventional bicycles. It is easier to pedal

They can be quickly recharged almost anywhere, or batteries can be exchanged instantly with charged batteries. Any bicycle repair shop can attend them to.

In western countries, the bicycle is mainly for customers who want to exercise. While in developing countries, this is a real mode of transport and business. Look at paper wallahs, couriers and hawkers, meter readers, park rangers, postman, industrial users, indoor plant messengers and countless other categories of workers. Delivery in traffic congested areas is already a major use of the bicycle. Electric Bike will make these workers more productive.
They will all like this idea of sweating less and working longer hours.
The market for Electric Bike could be many times more than that for engine driven two wheelers. Remember that every time the bicycle has become easier to pedal, its sales has gone up. Just think of the balloon tire in the 30's, the racer bikes in the 50's, the 10-speed in the 70's, and the mountain bike in the 80's.

The Electric Bike will be preferred by many millions of people. It is silent, does not stink or vibrate, is affordable and reliable.
Seniors want to go outdoors, but are not always able to pedal easily. They will like this very much. Especially the three wheeled version.

Commuters, thwarted with traffic conditions, and spiralling cost of car ownership, will find Electric Bike a very sensible choice.
One of the most important markets can be police and other law enforcement agencies. A police officer on an Electric Bike can be the first on the scene, beating both jeeps and normal bicycles.

When is this acceptance going to happen?
Yesterday! Look around. Not just here -look at the world.

In 1997, Japanese companies built more than twice as many Electric Bikes as mountain bikes. And, the value of the Electric Bike brought to them a big 18% of the sales of bicycles. That was up 240% over 1996.

China's production numbers are unknown, but it is believed that 15% of Chinese bicycles will be electric by 2002, a number which could mean that 5 million Electric Bikes would be on the streets of China!

If 1996 to 1997 can run a 240% increase in Japan ... If Iacocca is predicting a 50,000 unit first year (that would represent a 500% plus increase for sales in the USA.) ... If Bob Steeple (former chairman of GM), Malcolm Currie (former CEO of Hughes) and other noted authorities on transportation technology are talking big about the Electric Bike ...........

Who will gain?
Everyone will benefit due to efficient and clean transportation. Immense social, economic and environmental benefits can be gained by reducing petroleum dependency, air pollution, and greenhouse effects.
Transport planners and metro designers will have a great tool that will decrease air pollution, increase the capacity of roadways by reducing auto trips, and reduce congestion and parking demands.

Electric Bike: Economic Benefits
Electric bicycles offer an alternative to the high costs of driving. Maintenance & fuelling costs are minimal. So every time you ride an Electric Bike you save money.
The electricity for charging is the fuel and costs about $5 per year (The charger works on 110v and charges in a few hours.

In addition to personal benefits, society at large also realises economic benefits from increased Electric Bike use. Cleaner air reduces the incidence of respiratory diseases and their associated health care costs. Widespread use could also reduce pressure for more roads and road maintenance.

Do you want to do more for our environment?
Riding an Electric Bike reduces fossil fuels use and global warming, perhaps the biggest issue facing us today. It also reduces air and noise pollution.

Do you want a simpler lifestyle?
An Electric Bike is simple to use, fix, and pay for. It's the kind of clean, quiet, and people-friendly transportation we really need.

Is saving money important to you?
Electricity to power an Electric Bike costs 4% of fuel costs for a car. Maintenance and repair costs are also much less. So every kilometer you ride saves money. When combined with public transport, you can go almost anywhere.

by Jamais Cascio
Leapfrog Nations - Emerging Technology in the New Developing World

Although the presence of officials such as Pan Yue in the Chinese bureaucracy is a small sign of hope, China remains an ever-worsening environmental disaster. Air and water pollution still choke the country, brought on by barely-regulated industries. Cities are being rebuilt to better-accomodate automobiles, and China is now the number two importer of oil in the world, beating out Japan, behind only the United States.
But there are signs that some citizens of China are starting to take environmental matters into their own hands. Two recent stories illustrate the breadth of what that can mean: urban dwellers buying and using electric bikes made by small start-ups in defiance of city leaders and the national auto industry; and a peasant uprising over industrial pollution. Read on for details.
IEEE Spectrum is a technologist journal, but it very often has articles of great interest to worldchangers; "China's Cyclists Take Charge," posted today on their website, is an excellent example.
With all of the attention paid to the growing number of automobiles in China, it's worth noting that over ten million three electric bikes and scooters will be sold there this year alone -- that's nearly three times more electric bikes sold than autos. It's not surprising; electric bikes are inexpensive (as low as 1500 yuan, or about $180), easy to operate, and well-suited to the crowded urban Chinese streets. Most are made by a variety of small manufacturers, lifting designs and ideas from each other (and from overseas companies), competing aggressively for the Chinese market. They're used for intra-city transit and, increasingly, for deliveries.
But city and regional officials, mindful of the auto industry's status as a "pillar industry," have been trying to crack down on the use of electric bikes. They claim that the lead-acid batteries are an environmental risk, and that the use of electric bikes undercuts the use of public transit. Both arguments apply far more to automobiles, but there are no attempts to restrict cars in the same way.
Electric bike owners are ignoring the restrictions, however, and manufacturers are starting to build up some political weight of their own:
Although the odds against them are daunting, electric-bike manufacturers are pushing back, with surprising success. The mastermind of one of the most high-profile battles is Ni Jie, president of Luyuan Electric Vehicle Co., a privately owned manufacturer that has a pragmatic approach to the market, a sizable R&D effort, and an ambitious vision for Chinese EV technology. [...]
Ni took people power to surprising limits in 2003 when officials in Fuzhou, the capital of neighboring Fujian province, decided to ban electric bicycles?shutting off what until then had been one of Luyuan's best markets. The city not only ceased issuing licenses for electric bicycles but also seized 20 electric bikes from a bicycle shop in the summer of 2003. Ni gathered a coalition of 126 electric-bike manufacturers and filed suit against the city in its own municipal court. The coalition scored a partial win against the city government, forcing it to return the seized bikes.
Far more valuable, says Ni, was the sympathetic coverage they received from national media and the warning that attention sent to other municipalities. "What we told other governments is that if they do the same as Fuzhou, there will be some trouble," he says.

The Chinese government will be happy to have this energetic electric vehicle industry in the years to come, as the growing reliance on internal combustion autos becomes less and less tenable. The electric bikes could have some real value outside of dense urban areas, too. As we reported last month, the single-cylinder diesel "mules" in rural China, which make up a quarter of the vehicles in the country, are responsible for over half the pollution. As rural electrification in China progresses, electric scooters and delivery vehicles could take over that niche, reducing a major source of air pollution (and CO2) while building up a homegrown industry.
But rural China has more to worry about than diesel mules. Industrial parks are increasingly being located in rural areas because of the cheap land, with sometimes dire effects on the local populace. As the Washington Post reported on Monday, In the Dongyang region, the pollution from local factories (including one making pesticides) was so bad that it withered crops and sickened the residents of surrounding village, Huaxi.
But no one, the villagers lamented, would listen to their pleas to have the factories closed.
It was not for lack of trying. Huaxi officials, including Party Secretary Wang Wei, visited other factories in the region and warned in a confidential report that pollution was a danger to residents and agriculture. A copy of the report was leaked and posted for all to see. Partly as a result, villagers wrote an open letter to the Dongyang municipal government demanding the industrial park be closed.
"The Dongyang government turned a deaf ear to it all," said one of those involved.

In March, after four years of official complaints and petitions, the villagers took action, blockading the industrial park.
Initial attempts by police to remove protesters were blocked by villagers. A subsequent police raid, in April, resulted in beatings of a number of elderly protesters; as a result, 20,000 villagers came to their defense, destroying police vehicles and attacking the police with stones, forcing them to flee. Finally, in late May, local officials relented, agreeing to shut down the factories, and the protesters returned home. The Post reports that Dongyang has now sent plainclothes police into Huaxi to attempt to uncover who led the uprising.
As this indicates, a bottom-up environmental revolution will be neither bloodless nor smooth. Those in power dislike having their power challenged. Demands for a cleaner environment -- whether by protest or by purchase -- can result in restrictions and reprisals, only to see those demands made again, even more strongly.
It's increasingly clear that a growing number of Chinese citizens have decided that it's worth defying the authorities to reduce pollution. It's a risky decision. But if this trend continues, it could also be transformative -- and completely worldchanging.