4 ms·

Bike country No 1': Dutch go electric in record numbers

18 points by tnolet 8y ago

mc32 8y ago
I wonder if this is new buyers in the market (people foregoing/complementing cars and transit) or previous bike owners going electric. I’d be happy if it were the first group but sad if it were the second group because it seems like it would result in a less active population.
- tnolet 8y ago
  Probably a mix. Most if not all Dutch have one normal bicycle. Multiple per household. This would probably be an addition.
- Freak_NL 8y ago
  From what I can tell it started with people in their late fifties, sixties, and beyond going electric in order to stay mobile in the face of a degrading body — i.e., to augment the user's strength. I still think this is the largest group of buyers, but I get the impression — from observing people in traffic — that a good amount of people who use electric bicycles come to depend too much on the engine, hardly providing any power themselves via the pedals. People who cycle along at 15–20 km/h tend to use the battery power as an augmentation, whilst those who pass everyone by at 25 km/h tend to depend on it for at least 90%. This looks to me like a general loss in healthy exercise. Then there are the gadget freaks that buy the so-called 'speed pedelecs', which can hit speeds of up to 45 km/h, but because these have recently been relegated to the moped category in Dutch law, these are no longer allowed on bicycle-exclusive cyclepaths, and have to use the main carriage ways instead. Their rise in popularity seems to have stagnated — thankfully! They don't really fit into Dutch traffic as it is, being too fast for cyclepaths, and too exposed to use safely on roads where drivers may expect mopeds, but not souped-up electrical bicycles. In any case, most people will have owned a normal bicycle before going electric. Some do use it to replace the car for commuting, because a distance of up to 30 km may take much less time on an electric bicycle when traffic is bad, and more healthy to boot — as long as you peddle along!
- syotos2 8y ago
  Almost every dutch person has or had a bicycle, The electric bicycle started out targeting older people so they could keep using a bicycle while getting older. Now they are also targeting young mothers, and commuters. We (dutchies) bought a electric bicycle for my wife because it's easier with a kid in a seat on the back, and it makes the radius where she picks the bicycle over the car bigger.
EngineerBetter 8y ago
I have exclusively been driving EVs since 2013 (Renault Zoe and a Tesla Model X), and also use a Brompton folding bicycle on my commute to work (total 6 miles cycling). I've never understood the appeal of electric bikes. It just seems lazy to me. I'd feel guilty if I relied on the motor instead of burning calories. I use the cars for transporting the family, or to go long distances quickly. I'm not averse to cycling 25 miles if time allows, and I've also managed to carry all sorts (like IKEA furniture) on my folding bike. I also wear my work clothes (jeans and t-shirt) when cycling on my commute, demonstrating that lycra is totally unnecessary! I can only assume that electric bikes are for people that wouldn't normally cycle, or whose routes are prohibitively hilly. Would be keen to hear the use cases of anyone here that uses one.
- rjbwork 8y ago
  I've been riding one as my exclusive mode of transport around the city for about 9 months now (though I just got an electric longboard and have been taking it on short excursions). It is just wonderful. The biggest bonus for me is that I'm able to pretty much keep up with traffic to the point that people are not driving dangerously around me in a bid to pass me within inches. I'm also able to get places faster, ride farther out, and use it for trips I may otherwise have not (and didn't) use my bike for. I do live in a pretty hilly area as well, and making 10MPH up a fairly steep hill certainly makes things "closer".
  - tehlike 8y ago
    What longboard did you get? I am considering getting an offroad board mostly to limit risk of injury.
    - rjbwork 8y ago
      I got one from the same company I got my bike from. I honestly can't recommend it. The parts are cheap and seem pretty off the shelf chinese-made. I expected better. If this thing dies I'll probably go with a more time-tested brand, or roll my own (cheap).
- 8y ago
janandonly 8y ago
This started with old people and the accompanying stigma. But nowadays there are more youngsters and even kids who use the electric bike to get to school. A big hurdle is still the high price, but as prices come down I expect almost all bikes will be electric some years from now.
ricardobeat 8y ago
It’s a shame that the regulations haven’t been updated for electric kick scooters as well. They are a lot cheaper, more nimble, take up less space and use less energy. I’d love to ride one to work but am worried it will get impounded at first sight :(
- Doxin 8y ago
  Yes please. My commute is by train, and then the last bit by bus. Depending on traffic the bus takes either 2 minutes or 20 minutes and it's infuriating. I'd happily skip the bus by cycling but that either means having a second bike parked where a) there's no space and b) it WILL get stolen sooner or later or I can lug along a bulky folding bike. I'd much rather carry an electric kick scooter.

18 points by tnolet 8y ago

mc32 8y ago

I wonder if this is new buyers in the market (people foregoing/complementing cars and transit) or previous bike owners going electric. I’d be happy if it were the first group but sad if it were the second group because it seems like it would result in a less active population.

tnolet 8y ago
Probably a mix. Most if not all Dutch have one normal bicycle. Multiple per household. This would probably be an addition.
Freak_NL 8y ago
From what I can tell it started with people in their late fifties, sixties, and beyond going electric in order to stay mobile in the face of a degrading body — i.e., to augment the user's strength. I still think this is the largest group of buyers, but I get the impression — from observing people in traffic — that a good amount of people who use electric bicycles come to depend too much on the engine, hardly providing any power themselves via the pedals. People who cycle along at 15–20 km/h tend to use the battery power as an augmentation, whilst those who pass everyone by at 25 km/h tend to depend on it for at least 90%. This looks to me like a general loss in healthy exercise. Then there are the gadget freaks that buy the so-called 'speed pedelecs', which can hit speeds of up to 45 km/h, but because these have recently been relegated to the moped category in Dutch law, these are no longer allowed on bicycle-exclusive cyclepaths, and have to use the main carriage ways instead. Their rise in popularity seems to have stagnated — thankfully! They don't really fit into Dutch traffic as it is, being too fast for cyclepaths, and too exposed to use safely on roads where drivers may expect mopeds, but not souped-up electrical bicycles. In any case, most people will have owned a normal bicycle before going electric. Some do use it to replace the car for commuting, because a distance of up to 30 km may take much less time on an electric bicycle when traffic is bad, and more healthy to boot — as long as you peddle along!
syotos2 8y ago
Almost every dutch person has or had a bicycle, The electric bicycle started out targeting older people so they could keep using a bicycle while getting older. Now they are also targeting young mothers, and commuters. We (dutchies) bought a electric bicycle for my wife because it's easier with a kid in a seat on the back, and it makes the radius where she picks the bicycle over the car bigger.

EngineerBetter 8y ago

I have exclusively been driving EVs since 2013 (Renault Zoe and a Tesla Model X), and also use a Brompton folding bicycle on my commute to work (total 6 miles cycling). I've never understood the appeal of electric bikes. It just seems lazy to me. I'd feel guilty if I relied on the motor instead of burning calories. I use the cars for transporting the family, or to go long distances quickly. I'm not averse to cycling 25 miles if time allows, and I've also managed to carry all sorts (like IKEA furniture) on my folding bike. I also wear my work clothes (jeans and t-shirt) when cycling on my commute, demonstrating that lycra is totally unnecessary! I can only assume that electric bikes are for people that wouldn't normally cycle, or whose routes are prohibitively hilly. Would be keen to hear the use cases of anyone here that uses one.

rjbwork 8y ago
I've been riding one as my exclusive mode of transport around the city for about 9 months now (though I just got an electric longboard and have been taking it on short excursions). It is just wonderful. The biggest bonus for me is that I'm able to pretty much keep up with traffic to the point that people are not driving dangerously around me in a bid to pass me within inches. I'm also able to get places faster, ride farther out, and use it for trips I may otherwise have not (and didn't) use my bike for. I do live in a pretty hilly area as well, and making 10MPH up a fairly steep hill certainly makes things "closer".
- tehlike 8y ago
  What longboard did you get? I am considering getting an offroad board mostly to limit risk of injury.
  - rjbwork 8y ago
    I got one from the same company I got my bike from. I honestly can't recommend it. The parts are cheap and seem pretty off the shelf chinese-made. I expected better. If this thing dies I'll probably go with a more time-tested brand, or roll my own (cheap).
8y ago

janandonly 8y ago

This started with old people and the accompanying stigma. But nowadays there are more youngsters and even kids who use the electric bike to get to school. A big hurdle is still the high price, but as prices come down I expect almost all bikes will be electric some years from now.

ricardobeat 8y ago

It’s a shame that the regulations haven’t been updated for electric kick scooters as well. They are a lot cheaper, more nimble, take up less space and use less energy. I’d love to ride one to work but am worried it will get impounded at first sight :(

Doxin 8y ago
Yes please. My commute is by train, and then the last bit by bus. Depending on traffic the bus takes either 2 minutes or 20 minutes and it's infuriating. I'd happily skip the bus by cycling but that either means having a second bike parked where a) there's no space and b) it WILL get stolen sooner or later or I can lug along a bulky folding bike. I'd much rather carry an electric kick scooter.