E-bikes are considered an environmentally friendly alternative to cars. But what is it really about the reputation as a climate rescuer? The ARD wanted to know exactly and took a closer look at the climate balance of the electric bikes. The result surprises.
For the commute to work, for shopping or as a leisure activity at the weekend: Germans are increasingly leaving their cars at home and reaching for e-bikes. Pedelecs are becoming more and more popular in this country and, in the eyes of many, make an important contribution to the traffic turnaround. The ARD program “Marktcheck” on SWR took a close look at whether popular opinion really corresponds to the facts.
E-bikes are environmentally friendly public transport
The climate balance would also have to include the environmentally harmful effects that the extraction of lithium and cobalt for the batteries entails. Nevertheless be after about 300 kilometerswhich one covers with the electric bike instead of with the car, the CO2 emissions from battery production offset again (Source: SWR on YouTube). From this threshold, the pedelec wins. It goes even faster when the e-bike is charged with electricity from renewable sources.
Surprising: According to the market check the e-bike even beats public transport in terms of the climate balance. The conclusion of Miriam Dross from the Federal Environment Agency is also positive: “In our opinion, e-bikes can be a real game changer in the field of cycling,” says the expert. “You can commute to work by bike, for example, where you would otherwise take a car.”
The Cowboy 3 is a smart e-bike:
3 rules to extend the lifespan of e-bikes
A long service life, which postpones a potential new purchase for as long as possible, is particularly positive for the climate balance. This applies to the toaster as well as to the e-bike. The ADFC experts have established 3 important rules that can be used to extend the service life of an e-bike.
If you are now toying with the idea of getting an electric bike, you will find many models for every budget in our e-bike buying guide.