The PLANET-7 International

Electric bikes generate both personal and global benefits. And the benefits are multiplied when other household members use your electric bike.

Riding a bike, even an electric one, is about waving to your neighbors, talking to people at crosswalks, enjoying your own power, coasting down the hill with a bit of wind in your hair, paying attention to the cracks in the road, sticking your tongue out to taste the spring rain, always being able to find a parking place, feeling like a kid. It's a part of what the new culture is about -- enjoying the moments of life, the getting there as much as the being there, the effort as much as the reward, wholeness as much as efficiency, muscle power as much as turbo power, your community as much as your solace.

The  economic benefit of electric bicycles are better, in terms of quick payback, than insulating your home. Substituting e-bike trips for car trips saves on purchase price, insurance, and registration fees. Beyond the purchase price, cars cost about $0.10 per mile in fuel and parts. Some families will use an electric bike to augment their car use, while others will find tremendous savings by living with one less car. For some folks, there's no comparison because they don't have a license to drive - and don't need one for an electric bike.

The include reduced pollution (CO₂, NOX, tire and brake lining fragments) and reduced resource consumption (less material, fuel, and infrastructure). Reduced CO₂ emissions is most important because scientific opinion is close to unanimous that global warming is already happening. The average car emits one pound of CO₂ for every mile driven.

Electric bicycles also allow you to  reduse UR RISK of living in a technology-dependent culture. Automobiles and buses may be stalled by oil embargoes, fallen bridges, and mega-traffic jams. An electric bike, a vehicle light enough to carry short distances over or around obstacles, is nearly immune. At the personal level, an e-bike owner is free of license, registration, and insurance requirements. We also provide a reality check on the "bicycling around cars is dangerous" myth.

E-bikes support a simple lifestyle They're easy to use; just flip a switch to get a gentle, but firm, push. They save time in two ways: 1) For errands up to a mile and on some congested commutes, e-bikes are quicker than the car; 2) Their low cost means you work fevor hours supporting them. The pace of life slows a bit while riding an electric bike. Stress goes down, enjoyment of life goes up. Fun happens!

Your health and fitness will likely improve. How can that be with a motor on your bike? Because you will actually be riding that bike more often. It's more fun! Traffic snarls aren't frustrating and stressful. In fact, the worse the jam, the more gratifying the ride. It doesn't just feel like you're "beating the system". In many ways, you are! Despite our culture's belief that bicycling is dangerous, remember that heart disease is almost 1,000 times more dangerous.

To most of us, automobiles represent a cheap, fast way to get where we're going. Many auto expenses, however, are hidden. When included, they make the true costs of driving much higher than we realize. The "True Costs" worksheet below will help you determine how much you're spending on your car each year. Those are direct costs. Indirectly, through many types of taxes, we also pay for the land, roads, "free"ways, bridges, and tunnels. Through government, we also pay to provide cleaning, landscaping, irrigation, signs, signals, reflectors, and police and emergency services. According to the American Automobile Association, a new car costs $6,720 a year to operate.

Electric bicycles, for errands and short commutes, offer an alternative to the high costs of driving. Obviously, maintenance & fueling costs are minimal. So every mile you ride an electric bike instead of driving (pl. see WHY YOU BUY THE ELECTRIC BIKE. You may also be able to save on bridge tolls, parking lot fees, and tickets. Here are the numbers:

• The charger plugs into standard 110 VAC electrical socket and charges in three hours or less. Charger output is 6 amps.
  

• Charging for 3 hours produces 17 amp-hours, more than enough to fully charge a 17 amp-hour battery,
• Charger uses 1.3 amps at 120VAC or 156 watts.
  
• Three hours of charging uses 468 watt-hours or 0.468 Kwh.
  
• At a cost of $0.11/Kwh, that's about 5? per charge or 0.3? per mile.

Some people, however, can realize much larger savings. For example, a household with several cars might work out a way to live with one less car. That would free up insurance, registration, and smog check costs. Another family may find that their car qualifies for a reduced insurance rate because it is used less or in a certain way. See the "Insurance Questions" in the next section.

Electric bicycles are extraordinarily thrifty transit when one doesn't need a car. The reason is that, under , an electric bike is legally a "bicycle" [CVC 406(b)]. That means you don't need a driver's license, vehicle registration, or insurance. (By contrast, a moped requires all those costs). In fact, if you don't have a driver's license, an electric bike may be your best option. 

In addition to the personal benefits you'll receive, society at large also realizes economic benefits. Increased EV use means cleaner air which reduces the incidence of respiratory diseases and their associated health care costs. Widespread use could also reduce pressure for more roads and road maintenance.

Gas-powered cars are the primary source of air pollution in the INDIA. 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. Here in the MUMBAI  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:

Financial Risk: Riding an electric bike doesn't require a license, registration, or insurance. The investment and operating costs are small. (Fuel, for example, costs about 0.3? per mile.) You may also be able to save on bridge tolls, parking lot fees, and tickets. All this reduces your financial exposure. Also, considering that fuel costs, in real terms, are near their 20 year lows, it's much more likely they'll go up rather than down. Even without a market-driven price rise, the cost of gas may rise if a national carbon tax is imposed to reduce global warming.

Fuel Availability Risk: In 1973 when the oil embargo disrupted America, we imported about 40% of our oil. Now we import 80%. World oil production facilities are at capacity. What could cause another oil shortage? The demand for oil from the developing countries could bid the price up - as could any disruption of the supply channels (say a terrorist bomb at a large oil-shipping port). The death of the ailing king of Saudi Arabia might open the door to Muslim fundamentalists who would like to shake up the West. An earthquake at the right place and time. How would you fare if you couldn't "fill 'er up" tomorrow? SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, MARCH 1998 issue, points out that every year for the past two decades the industry has pumped more oil than it has discovered, and production will soon be unable to keep up with rising demand.

Disaster Risks: A natural disaster could knock out roads and overpasses making car travel impossible. Bicycles can be ridden, walked, or even carried over most obstructions.

Traffic Jams: In some areas, traffic jams are a daily occurrence. When things go wrong, they can happen anywhere. Electric bikes are immune to traffic jams.

Corporate Control: It's not personal, but large corporations want to control us so we continue to support their growth and profitability. Whenever we take back more control of our own lives, connect with others in our community, and live simply, we empower ourselves. All this is possible by using an electric bike. Electric bicycles decentralize power away from corporations and toward individuals. They give us more control over our lives and a bigger say in how our world will be.

Health Risks: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 50% of the US adult population is overweight and that one of every four adults is obese.t Worse still is the sad fact that one of every four American children is overweight, and that obese children are predisposed to become obese adults. Obesity costs the nation $68 billion annually in health care and personal living costs. Recent evidence shows that 29% of Americans are sedentary and that 80% do not meet the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Physical inactivity is a primary factor in at least 300,000 deaths annually, including deaths from chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Given the dangers of obesity and inactivity, would our country be better off if we chose to walk or bike more often in our daily routines, and helped make it possible for our children to do so?

Safety: Many people believe that bicycling is inherently dangerous. Statistics indicate that, on an hourly basis, bicycle transportation is only 55% as dangerous as traveling in an automobile can be even less dangerous if one follows some simple rules.

Let's start with the stats. Annually, over 50 times as many people are killed in cars or walking across the street than cycling. Over 40 times as many commit suicide, over 30 times as many get murdered, over 15 times as many die from falling, over 9 times as many get poisoned, over 6 times as many die of burns, over 5 times as many drown, and over 25 times as many die of various and sundry causes. In terms of injuries per hour, cycling looks safe compared to other sport activities. Figures from Australia show injuries per million hours: football = 1,900; squash = 1,300; basketball = 1,100, soccer = 600; cycling = 50.

In 1996, 757 cyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in the U. S., down 8% from 1995 and 25% from 1975. (To put that in perspective, 41,907 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in '96.) It is estimated that 96% of cyclists killed in 1996 were not wearing helmets. Obviously, more collisions occur than deaths. Turning and crossing situations accounted for the vast majority (76.9%) of collisions. Only 8.6% of car-bicycle collisions involved cars overtaking bicycles, i.e. hitting them from behind. (This figure includes rural areas where overtaking collisions are more common.) The remaining collisions were as follows: bicyclist overtaking, 2.7%; wrong-way bicyclist (head on), 2.5%; other parallel path collisions (including operator loss of control), 2.7%; and other or unknown, 7%. A recent study found that bicycling against traffic increases accident risk by 360%, bicycling on the sidewalk increases accident risk by 180%, and bicycling the wrong way on the sidewalk increases accident risk by 430% (Wachtel and Lewiston 1994). Accident studies show clearly that motorists were judged to be solely at fault in only 28% of car-bike collisions, cyclists solely at fault in 50% of collisions, and both were at fault in 14% (In the remaining 8% of collisions, culpability was unknown or unclear.).

Now for the safety rules that prevent the vast majority of collisions and injuries:
Be predictable; don't make sudden, unexpected maneuvers. Always wear a helmet. Learn basic bicycle handling and traffic skills. [See next paragraph.] Ride with the flow of traffic on the street, not on sidewalks. Act more like a slow-moving car by "taking the lane" when conditions warrant (debris or parked cars on the right, or preparing for a left turn). Get a good headlight and a tail light and/or a large rear reflector in order to be equipped for night riding. Most importantly, however, is to assume that car drivers cannot see you and ride defensively.

Basic bicycle handling includes proper seat height; picking the right gear; stopping by using both brakes; and scanning for traffic behind (looking over the shoulder) without swerving. Basic traffic skills include changing lanes; lane positioning depending on the speed of traffic and the width of the travel lane; lane positioning based on destination at intersections; and yielding and stopping when required by traffic rules. There are other skills which are helpful-- quick turns and quick stops, riding in bad weather and at night, climbing and descending, and on-road bicycle maintenance.

Electric bikes support a simple lifestyle. In addition to being easy to use, they're simple to maintain/repair. Here's a vehicle you can actually maintain or repair yourself. Some errands and commutes on an electric bike are quicker, easier, and more fun. Their low cost means you work fewer hours supporting them. And, you know, it just seems that time moves more casually riding an electric bike.

Bicycle riders learn short-cuts that make the experience even more fun. We ride through parks and along creek levees. We learn to jump curbs and cut across grassy fields. Off the bike (or moving slowly), we use sidewalks and crosswalks to save time and slip past annoying signals. Cycling allows for more adventure and creativity than driving. It all adds up to a more deliberate, fun life.

The electric bicycle is the leading example of a whole class of  light electrical vehicles being developed. They're clean, quiet, and efficient. Like a car, LEVs provide the user with point-to-point transportation. Designed for one person and a small amount of cargo, their range, speed, and cost are moderate. For 10% of the price of a car, an LEV can provide 50+% of the utility. LEVs use current technologies to create better transportation.

Ultimately, fully enclosed LEVs will be common. In addition to standards like radio and heater, they'll have cargo room for four bags of groceries. The rider will sit in a slightly reclining position, as recumbent cyclists do today. Surrounding the rider a light weight, but resilient, "bubble" will provide protection from the elements and crashes. Sophisticated security systems will inhibit thieves. High performance will enable them to use freeways and cover distances up to 60 miles. (How about a "60/60" industry standard that guarantees a full 60 mph for 60 minutes?)

LEVs will become part of our lives as we discover more uses for them than currently imagined. Today's LEV, the electric bike, can be used by most family members, making daily use likely. Can you imagine a better gift for the whole family?

LEVs may spread rapidly. The World Wide Web enables you and others to discover and share new, "green" products with ease. The Web is truly a "power to the people" technology. So are LEVs.  This human-scale technology could sweep the country through the enthusiastic endorsement of early adopters. Having read this far, you are likely an early adopter, that is, a person who can see the health, economic, and environmental possibilities.

LEVs range in size from electric scooters small enough to fit under a bus seat up to one-person cars capable of driving in freeway HOV lanes.  LEVs provide local point-to-point transportation for one person and some cargo at speeds and costs that are moderate.   For most of us, half of our errands and trips are less than 10 miles - within the range of most LEVs.

For under $1000, you can be riding your first LEV. Enjoy the advantages of an extra car without the burdens. Replace that costly extra car with an e-bike or scooter, and use the savings to rent a car when you really need one.  Or simply enjoy the fun and freedom of a vehicle that goes almost anywhere - including into public buildings.

Using clean, efficient vehicles saves money and time while helping the environment and improving our quality of life. And the benefit s extend beyond the personal (you) to the global (everyone). Most folks find LEVs simply fun! LEVs brighten our lives, our neighborhoods, and our world. Even if an LEV doesn't fit your lifestyle (today), they make sense for someone you know. Spread the word. People enjoy this technology. Friends and co-workers who start riding will thank you.

If you glimpse how an LEV can brighten your life, get  one. It will pay for itself in uses and benefits beyond what you can imagine. You'll also be investing in a clean, healthy, and sustainable future - for you, your community, and your world.

Here are most LEV types.  Either follow these links to in-depth introductions - or read on for short descriptions.

 


Highway planners still tend to view trend as destiny, i.e. the future is more of the same: traffic will continue to increase, so we should subsidize it by building more and bigger highways. Common sense, however, says that building lots of expensive roads is neither feasible, socially desirable, nor affordable. If we let go of the "trend is destiny" model with its emphasis on more and bigger roads, we can see a different future -- a future of efficiency, of "small is beautiful".

A look at the history of automobiles shows how we created cities designed for cars. Cars started as horseless carriages, designed for carrying family and cargo. Their expense limited family ownership to one, and the ubiquitous "large size fits all" became the standard. Cars made possible the suburban communities that, in turn, were designed for cars. Now, however, cars are (too) plentiful and our culture emphasizes individuals - going where they want, when they want. Most of the time that extra people and cargo capacity follows the driver around unused.

Emergence of a new transportation vehicle seems imminent due to developments in technology, congestion, environmental concerns, economics, and job/housing distributions. (In the San Francisco Bay Area, for example, 50% of folks work within 10 miles of home.) Let's dub this new vehicle the Personal Electric Vehicle (PEV). Like a car, it provides the owner with the flexibility and convenience of point-to-point transportation. PEVs, however, are light and efficient units designed for one person. Their range, speed, and cost are moderate. For 10% of the price of a car, a PEV can provide 50% (or more) of the utility. And here in California, electric bikes with a top speed of 20 mph free their users from license and insurance requirements.

Bicycles, skateboards, and roller blades function as PEVs for a relatively few people. Widespread use, however, may depend on the combination of several required design features. I believe electric and electric-assisted bicycles incorporate the critical elements needed for popularization: inexpensive, familiar, simple, versatile, and powered. Perhaps the strongest competitor among the electric bicycle options is the ZAP Power Systems offering. It easily attaches to most bikes and comes with quality components including a deep discharge lead-acid battery, solid-state electronics, and high efficiency motors adapted from the auto industry.

Although the electric bike may popularize the concept of a PEV, I expect dramatic changes and improvements. Their nature as human-electric hybrids may give way to purely electric PEVs. Bicycle technologies, however, provide the foundation for future PEVs. Consider bicycle innovations of recent years: shocks, various braking and drive systems, advances in frame technologies, common usage of "space age" materials (titanium, carbon fiber, and Kevlar), and a plethora of add-ons that enhance and extend the bicycle's usefulness. Inclusion of microprocessors, battery advances, security devices, and protective shells surrounding the driver will bolster PEV popularity. Readily available, inexpensive, and modular batteries will allow people to adjust battery capacity to their specific needs.

As PEV usage becomes common, specific changes seem likely. Car usage may parallel the use of conventional stoves after the introduction of microwave ovens; the number of cars will remain roughly the same, but their percentage of trips and miles driven will shrink steadily as that of PEVs grows. Eventually, multi-car households may choose to live with one less car. Because more people can use the same road capacity, we'll likely see no growth in road miles. Parking patterns will shift - probably to provide preferential treatment for PEVs as now done for car pools.

As the number of such moderate speed vehicles on our roads expands, we may see other changes. For example, speed limits for the outside lanes of 4- and 6-lane roads may be set lower than the inside lanes. Or, that outside 12' car lane could be converted into three 4' lanes for bicycles, electric bikes, and PEVs just for the cost of striping. Thus, capacity could triple without taking up any more land. The trend of neighborhoods demanding traffic calming measures will likely accelerate as people become familiar with slower, quieter PEVs.

Transit systems are already adjusting. Many suburban buses are already adding bicycle racks so cyclists can take longer trips. Trains are providing on-board space for their cycling customers. A system of privately owned and operated, EV jitneys could develop.

Widespread use of smaller, lighter, slower vehicles will enhance the quality of life for all of us. But for those of you who question the utility of electric bicycles, I challenge you to test ride one. The response in your body and heart will tell you whether this is just a toy -- or a prototype for the future of short-range transportation.

Imagine you're about to leave home to do a few errands. You ask your wife if there's anything you can do for her while you're out. When she says to pick up a book they are holding for her at the library, you inwardly groan; it's so hard to find a parking spot there. Just as you slide into the car, you think "Wait a minute. I can do this on the electric bike!" You slip the garage door opener into your pocket, jump on the bike, and pass your neighbor's house before the garage door even closes. The temperature is mild and the sun is still shining. Late afternoon is a great time to be outdoors - but a terrible time to be driving. You glide past chirping birds, playing children, and through the smell of dinners cooking.

You ride to the front of a line of cars waiting to turn left into the bank parking lot. Hmmm, nice looking blond in that Vette. After a few seconds, you slip through a gap between a couple of oncoming cars, a gap too small for a car to pass through. Leaning your bike against the wall, you step to the ATM and withdraw some cash. On your way out of the lot you notice that Vette just pulling into a parking spot.

Sure enough, cars are circling the library parking lot like vultures. You ride past them to the bike rack by the door, lock the bike, and walk inside. Within two minutes you're out again, and realize that most of the time spent on these errands is just getting around, not actually doing them. At the lot's exit is a line of cars waiting to turn right. You roll past them and make a quick right into the bike lane. "No wonder those cars were waiting; there's a lot of traffic here."

Now it's off to Jerry's, your cohort on the City's recycling task force. Half way there, though, the traffic stops dead; you keep rolling. After passing scores of cars, you see the accident causing the backup. It's just a fender-bender, but they're waiting for the police before they move their cars. You slip past them and, a short distance later, head off on a short-cut through the park. Arriving at Jerry's, you park on his porch, and ring the doorbell. After handing him your draft letter, he ribs you for using a motor on your bike, and you chide him for not using e-mail. Grinning, you head off again.

On the way home you swing by the shopping center to get a video. Video in hand, you stop to think "Is there anything else while I'm here?" Yes, at the other end of the center is the grocery store; "We're about out of milk." Biking along you realize how annoying it used to be going from one end of the center to the other, and then back again to the car. Now it's fun! Maybe it's that feeling of beating the system by rolling past all those cars. Or the satisfaction of accomplishing so much in such a short time. Or knowing you're doing your part for Mother Earth. Whatever, you finally realize that the investment you made in that "cheater bike" will be paying dividends for years to come.