One of the most common questions I hear from people considering an e-bike right now, during a period of soaring energy prices, is some variation of “Can it actually save me money?”
The answer is yes. Quite a bit, actually. But the interesting part is that most people focus on the wrong number.
You see, most people think about the cost of charging an e-bike versus filling a gas tank. And while that’s certainly worth discussing, especially now as gas prices are higher than they’ve been in years, the real savings often come from pretty much everything else.
Let’s start with the simple math.
The average American drives around 13,500 miles (21,700 km) per year, according to federal transportation data. Not all of those miles can realistically be replaced with an e-bike, and not for every person (yes, I understand maybe you live in the middle of bum-luck nowhere, but most people don’t). But ultimately, many miles can be replaced by e-bikes for many people. Short errands, grocery runs, commuting, school drop-offs, trips to restaurants, and visits to friends are often well within e-bike range, whether someone has considered that for themselves or not.
