I think he gets to that $0.14/mile by including the cost of the complete bike (assuming 500 charge cycles of the battery, which at 30 miles/charge should last h

I think he gets to that $0.14/mile by including the cost of the complete bike (assuming 500 charge cycles of the battery, which at 30 miles/charge should last him about 4 years with a 15 mile commute). Over those 4 years, he'll ride 15 miles/day * 253 working days/year, or 4000 miles/year, or 16000 miles. So.... $1400 / 16000 = $.09/mile He also included maintenance, so if he spends $200/year in maintenance (not unreasonable if he takes it to a bike shop for maintenance), that gets him up to $0.14/mile.