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Posts: 860

Shifu

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Q: why no electric bikes in the west?

i love my electric bike. it goes up to near enough 30 mph and costs less than 4 mao to recharge. its range is surprisingly good. dollar for dollar its the best thing i ve ever bought. why do you not get them in the west? 

9 years 38 weeks ago in  Transport & Travel - China

 
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Posts: 9192

Emperor

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In the east, we do have them but they are speed controlled. We are used to faster vehicles and most people drive farther than these will go. Some people drive very long distances on highways just going to work. I have one sitting with dead batteries, expensive to replace. The drive to work or shopping, the bike would not go that far.

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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2531

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Not quite sure... I think cause of things like grocery shopping and family transportation... 

 

That and I think the west is in love with oil/gas. 

iWolf:

I often see whole families getting around on ebikes with tons of shopping bags......I think it would be hilarious  to see an obese family all pile on to an ebike to go shopping in the west.

9 years 38 weeks ago
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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
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How many accidents involving electric bikes and other electric tricycles? Here you have your answer. Even if it would be allowed in developed countries (yes because they are banned in every rich countries and authorized in every poor or developing countries if you didn't realize, even China's wealthiest cities such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou are starting to ban it in their urban areas) it would take special lanes (such as the bicycles lanes) and they would only be allowed to drive there, not like in China where they swing between the roadside and the walkway whenever they want then are surprised when they crash into something/someone.

 

I also love my electric bike but look at the reality, there things are responsible for most accidents/crashes in China, especially because there is no need for a license to drive it and thus every retard can buy one.

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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
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Maybe those vehicles are too slow ? In a busy traffic, they are no better than a plain old muscle bike. Outside, they are just marginally faster than a muscle bike. European climate makes bike very agreable as well. Also, there might be some regulation we don't know about ?

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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
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You seem to have forgotten. Previously, when you lived in a western country, you had standards and you wouldnt have been seen on any scooter, electric or gas. A few of the original hipster fuck members tried to make vespas cool but that lasted like a week.

Even motorcycles are used for hobbies and not as a primary source of transportation and in north america it would be useless. An e bike wouldnt take you to 7-11 and back.

Hey i get it, you didnt come to China to work 9-5 and have a future, so your standards have dropped dramitically. Before you walked to the bus stop and now you have upgraded to riding your scooter to the bus stop. And thats good for you. But if you actually think that you would ride that ebike around a normal place without looking like a crack head who just ripped off a kid, then you should have spent that ebike money on a ticket home, because you seem to have forgotten how things work.

Burak43:

I know scooters/mopeds aren't popular in the US, but they are fairly popular in Europe. And in some countries where you need to be 18 years to get a car license you can ride a scooter from 16 years.

 

Most scooters in Europe are gas powered. I hate the sound they make, and I would actually prefer the electric ones.

 

9 years 38 weeks ago
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dokken:

Listen to yourself. A guy you don t know anything about writes that he quite likes electric scooters,  then you make a fantasy person up in your head and write personal insults. I wouldn't be so arrogant for a guy that cannot spell the word dramatically . Read your answer back to yourself and if you're objective you ll realise only a wanker could write something like that.

9 years 38 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

Correcting spelling mistakes is an echinacities equivalent to flattery.

9 years 38 weeks ago
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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
Posts: 902

Shifu

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Has no-one seen the promotional electric bike from Harley Davison. Not on the market yet but they are promoting them. 130 mile range and it looks like a real bike, not some kids toy.

Nessquick:

yeah, that is very cool. but as above is said, bikes are mostly for hobbies and fun, not for daily commute to work.

9 years 38 weeks ago
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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
Posts: 9631

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All the people I know back home who have electric bikes, and it is actually a lot, have spent perhaps the like of 25000RMB per bike. It is a luxury alternative to the car for short distances. Whereas in China it is the low cost alternative to a car. 

The eBikes of Scandinavia are way way more advanced, they look completely like normal bikes, they have (probably needlessly over-engineered) control circuits to balance the power output alongside pedal output (yes, you still need to pedal, the electric motor only helps you) so going up hill is just as easy as going on a flat surface. 

In my home country, bikes is a primary source of commuting for a large part of the population in the bigger cities. Bloody treehugging country I am from. 

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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
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The West would not allow you to ride a heavy vehicle like that without a license. And they'd probably be more expensive due to added safety inspection durig construction. If you have to get a license, you'd be better off paying a little more for a real motorbike/scooter, so you can travel large distances. Even if you don't do so every day, most people will prefer the option.

ScotsAlan:

Indeed.  That is certainly the case in the UK.

 

The existing laws in the UK deal with electric bikes as though they are toys. Speed limited, power limited etc.  To get a more powerful electric bike does indeed require a full motorbike license.

 

In my view, it's just another example of UK politicians paying lip service to the issues of congestion and energy use while not actually doing anything concrete about it.

 

A fairly powerful e-scooter can be bought here for about 2.5k rmb. Such a vehicle would be sufficient for a large percentage of UK local commuting. Even if the price was to be x4 compared to here ( safety upgrades etc), it would still be a viable cost effective low carbon footprint alternative to the petrol powered car.

 

But alas, the UK law says no. You can't just go buy one and ride it.

9 years 38 weeks ago
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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
Posts: 64

Governor

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Too fast and too powerful and heavy. It'd have to be insured and inspected. 

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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1263

Shifu

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I would reckon a big factor is geography. There are not that many places (other than the US) where cities are built on almost flat ground. The range would reduce dramatically with  the constant up and down.

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9 years 38 weeks ago
 
Posts: 156

Governor

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I was in Northern Ireland last year with my wife traveling. We were are Lough Neagh a few times, I notice a young man and girl [25ish] both had e-bikes. A few days later I saw another girl riding another e-bike, I was very surprised. 3 years past I visited a factory just outside Zhangjiagang with the view to export business. The factor produced e-bikes and the 3 wheel motor tikes of various sizes which I thought would be great for the  UK agricultural market. They even offer to but my own logos and brand. However the legalities required on both side of the pond were just too much trouble. I bought a super e-bike in Zhangjiagang and took lots of pleasure from it often going into the countryside from it. I read an article on the BBC website last year branding them " the silent killers" it's not the bike to blame, it's the rider/driver. Funny as it is, the UK and other countries are screaming about the environment, trying to encourage the use of  hybrid or e-car, yet little or no e-bikes. Maybe catch on in another decade.

DrMonkey:

e-bike are as clean as the power source used to fill the battery. If the electricity is from a coal-fired plant, you got a coal-powered e-bike, with a rather low efficiency, if you look from the steam turbine to your e-bike engine. In that aspect, plain old muscle bike is unbeatable.

9 years 35 weeks ago
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