September 7, 2025, 05:45 PM
Traditional bikes are definitely the most environmentally friendly, but e-bikes open up much longer commutes that would otherwise require a car. In areas without strong transit or cycling infrastructure, they can be the only realistic alternative to driving. Ideally, people would combine walking, biking, and public transport, but e-bikes are still a meaningful step toward reducing car use. The harder issue is that most e-bike companies are based overseas (China!), so enforcing battery lifecycle responsibility is complicated.