Quote:
Originally Posted by .RJ
honest question, even if i am stirring the pot here - how is buying a new bicycle, with batteries and motor, beneficial for my 'carbon footprint' compared to using the car that I already own?
sometimes I wonder if we (collectively) spend lots of money on things (bikes, new cars, new appliances, etc, etc) to feel like we're helping the environment.
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The payoff happens faster than expected even if you replace the existing car with an EV.
The emissions savings takes a little while to offset the construction of the new vehicle. The math for that works out differently depending on what the existing car is and what the new EV is. There's a larger emissions cost to producing an EV today compared to an ICE, but over their lifetimes the EV is still a big reduction.
But in the case of a eBike replacing car trips the emissions cost of producing the new eBike is tiny compared to a car, the payoff should be very fast.
It makes a ton of sense to use these eBikes instead of an ICE car to put off replacing the ICE car with an EV. Both financially and emissions wise.