E-bike and E-scooter - ongoing issues and discussion (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

New ^700,000 electric bike fleet announced by government


The electric bikes are battery-assisted to make pedalling easier

A new fleet of 234 electric bikes will be available for cyclists to hire at 10 locations across the country.

Paid for out of a ^700,000 Department for Transport fund, the "e-bikes" are battery-assisted to make pedalling easier. The government hopes they will encourage bike use by people who don't cycle regularly or live in hilly areas.

Transport minister Andrew Jones said it was part of a drive to double the number of UK^▸ (United Kingdom) journeys made by bicycle. He added: "Electric bikes are a great way to encourage new people to get into cycling. Cycling helps cut congestion and is a healthy, affordable transport option."

The areas to receive bikes were selected by sustainable transport charity Carplus out of the 34 bids it received.

Tim Caswell of Hourbike, which runs the existing urban bike hire scheme in Oxford, welcomed the funding as a chance to assess the demand for electric bike hire. A number of the existing hire racks in the city will be converted to include charging points for electric bikes.

Mr Caswell said: "There is less physical effort [in using electric bikes], but there is still a benefit to getting people moving outdoors. From a customer point of view there is definitely a demand for e-bikes. Quite what it is, how it compares to conventional pedal bikes and what rental customers are prepared to pay, that has yet to be tested."

On the Isle of Wight, 25 electric hire bikes acquired by Visit Isle of Wight will be aimed at mainland commuters as well as residents and tourists.

Kevin Smith, from the island's chamber of commerce, said: "From an economic perspective, encouraging employees to adopt alternative travel to work schemes will also assist with increasing a company's productivity, as a healthy workforce supports a healthy business."

The new projects have to be in place by March 2016.

A full list of the schemes
- Bristol will get 24 electric bikes at four workplace hubs in self-service, card-opened bike lockers
- Exeter will get 22 electric bikes at railway stations and business parks
- Oxford will add 16 electric bikes to its existing bike hire scheme run in association with Oxfordshire County Council
- Rotherham will get 70 electric bikes to expand a scheme offering bikes to the public via a mobile hub
- The Isle of Wight will get 25 electric bikes at visitor centres in Newport, Ryde and Cowes for tourists and public sector employees
- Hebden Bridge will receive 15 electric bikes for residents, local businesses and tourists to hire from the Hebden Bridge Alternative Energy Centre
- Various housing developments in the east of England will get 18 electric bikes in low income communities
- Eastbourne will get 20 electric bikes connecting the University of Brighton campus in Eastbourne and Eastbourne railway station
- Plymouth and the surrounding area will add 20 electric bikes to an existing hire fleet of 60 aimed at tourists and local commuters
- The New Forest's Pedall scheme will receive four adapted electric bikes for less able people

[Bmblbzzz]

Why are Bristol's to be at workplace hubs? There are already quite a lot of electric bikes in Bristol and a few shops selling them, so clearly the demand is there. I'm not sure what happened to the previous (non-electric) bike hire scheme; perhaps one of the problems it faced was that tourists didn't fancy cycling in a hilly city? In which case, electric bikes would seem an obvious choice; whereas putting them at workplace hubs suggests they will be used by commuters.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Electric bike scheme first to be launched in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)


The bikes have a range of between 40 and 60 miles, and cost up to £1.50 for half an hour

The UK's first city-wide electric bike scheme has been launched in Exeter.

The "Co-bikes" are currently available from five sites in Exeter, including the central train station, the university and Sowton Park and Ride.

It's hoped that by spring 2017 there will be eight hubs around the city.

The initiative has been launched with support from Department of Transport, while Devon County Council has helped to fund the scheme.

Mark Hodgson, Managing Director of Co-bikes, said: "After years of planning, we're very excited to be launching Co-bikes in Exeter.

"The Co-bikes electric bikes are changing the way that people travel around the city and are affordable and easy as well as being great fun to ride", he added.

For people who choose to become members, the service will cost 75p for 30 minutes, while non-members will pay double.

The bikes have small electric motors which can travel distances of between 40 and 60 miles, and allow speeds of up to 15mph.

[TonyK]

Cheaper than the bus - so long as you only want to travel between the hubs.

[Bmblbzzz]

Including the university, so we can look forward to elderly dons gliding effortlessly past their perspiring undergrads, late to lectures.

[JayMac]

A hub at Exeter St Davids is a must.

[Bmblbzzz]

"The central train station" is unfortunately ambiguous in the case of Exeter.

[JayMac]

 I checked the Co-Bike website. The only station hub currently is Exeter Central.

[CyclingSid]

Apparently it is not unusual to ride your bike across the rails in America, but preferably not the third rail.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/disruption-after-motorbike-fire-131172/
A very lucky person to survive, although I don't think the bike will be going anywhere soon.

[patch38]

Now that's what you call a front blow-out.

[JayMac]

Rather unfortunate choice of graphic for 'LIVE NEWS' under the headline.

[Bmblbzzz]

It wasn't a motorbike, contrary to the Kent Online url. It does look as if he was heading for a gap in the third rail but somehow missed it. However, it was clearly a stupid place to cross the tracks even if he hadn't got electrocuted.

[grahame]

From Medical Express

Older cyclists who use electric bicycles may be getting the same brain benefits as those on standard bikes.

The new research, published in PLOS One conducted at the University of Reading and Oxford Brookes University found that cyclists between the ages of 50-83 experienced cognitive and mental health benefits from riding a bicycle, whether it was electrically assisted or pedal powered.

Any of our members use electric cycles?   Any take them on the train?

[Red Squirrel]

Apparently they are more popular than regular bicycles in Holland now!

[grahame]

Apparently they are more popular than regular bicycles in Holland now!

More popular with whom?

I'm reminded of the joke about the bloke selling a loaf of bread and advertising it at the "popular price of £5.00". "That's not a popular price - that's extortion" says a potential customer.  "I like the price - it's popular with me" says the bloke selling the loaf.

Calculating on figures in the article. The Dutch cycle market it worth EUR1.2bn per year,  and 409,400 electric cycles were sold last year for over EUR2000 each.  That's a total of EUR818m.  The overall average cost for a cycle was EUR1207 making for total sales of 994,000 cycles of all types - if you take any the electric ones, that leaves you with 585,000 others (pedal only), each at EUR653 on average.  The article goes on to say the the EUR1207 figure quoted is up by EUR200 (over a period) and quotes an overall figure of EUR734 in 2011.

So - new cycles in numeric terms are still just 42% electric - but in cost terms they generate 68% of the income of those who sell them ... with who (for income reasons) I can appreciate them being more popular that push bikes.