Hasta La Ideas

An electric bicycle parked in Shanghai. Image CC BY-SA Lars Plougmann.

Here at Core77, we’ve featured a number of electric bicycles. In our 2012 Year in Review, we noted that vehicles are increasingly going electric, from motorcycles to cars to bicycles. And earlier this year we took a look at the nCycle, a notable electric bike concept that’s sleek and modern like an Apple device. From folding e-bikes to retrofittable motors, electric assistance remains a holy grail for commuters who want the convenience of bicycles without the sweat equity demanded by having to pedal to work.

A recent piece in Atlantic Cities pointed out this emergent trend: "The electric bicycle has so far remained a novelty item in the United States, but manufacturers, retailers, and analysts say that will soon change. Fueled by soaring numbers of bike commuters and rapidly evolving battery technology, the electric bicycle is poised for a breakthrough, if it can only roll over legal obstacles and cultural prejudices." The article goes on to explore some of the bigger challenges, like legal restrictions. These barriers have prevented wide adoption in a city like New York, which is dense and flat enough to encourage electric bike usage.

It’s easy to see these electric bicycle hype stories as just that: hype. But it’s impossible to deny just how popular they are in other contexts. As the article points out, electric bikes are very popular in Denmark and Germany, both countries that have historically been friendly to cyclists. (Of course, this recent column in the Copenhagen Post suggests Danes are still adjusting to the idea of electric bikes.)

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