Life is full of choices, and the choice you make usually depends on a whole host of reasons. Everyday, people weigh up the pros and cons before committing to an action, whether that action is personal to them, or an action that can result in change for others also, like family, or friends, or colleagues at work.
Outside factors can also come into the equation. Serious issues need to be considered, thought about carefully, then decisions are made knowing that every aspect of a choice has been carefully measured.
In today’s world, thoughts of the environment and the climate crisis are probably one of the more serious issues to think about, especially when considering to either buy a new car, or purchase a new ebike instead.
Different Circumstances Rate Different Choices
The Pros of the Car
A car is a fantastic machine. It can transport you to work and back in relative luxury from the elements outside. It can take you and the rest of the family on outings, and easily carry the shopping or any other reasonably large purchases home. You don’t have to worry about the distance you travel, or even how long the journey takes. You will be in relative comfort and safety in the car.
If you have a car sitting on the drive at home, and perhaps use it for one purpose or another several times a day, you probably don’t even think about how convenient it is, you just use it.
You drive the kids to school, you go on to your place of work, you collect shopping on the way home, and when you get home, you can relax, knowing the car is there to do the same things all over again tomorrow.
The Cons of the Car
Cars are expensive. They are expensive to buy, and they are expensive to run and maintain. A car will take a large slice out of your budget, for monthly car payments, insurance, road tax, if applicable, fuel, and replacement parts and regular servicing.
If can be hard at times to find a parking space for your car, and costly when you pay the parking charges. At busy times, you may be stuck in traffic for an age, and every minute in traffic costs in fuel and pollution.
Fuel prices are unstable, petrol and diesel costs regularly going up, so it is hard to budget precisely. And, unless you have a really good income, you may live in dread of some serious fault developing in the car, that will cost you a fortune to fix, and leave you short for weeks, or even months, till you are back on your feet again financially.
Cars are also polluters. Whether you have a petrol or a diesel car, you will be polluting the atmosphere and adding to the climate crisis instead of doing something positive for the environment.
The Advance of the Ebike
The Pros of an Ebike
There is no doubt that the ebikes on the market today are far superior to the ebikes that were on the market five or ten years ago. Ebike development continues to progress and a modern ebike can usually get you where you want to go, and back again, with ease, and without worry of running out of battery power.
Using an ebike to commute to your place of work and home will save you a great deal of money compared to using a car for commuting. Most cities and large towns have cycle paths so the journey can be easy and relatively free from any major interference from other traffic. If you do have to commute in traffic, you can easily glide through traffic jams and you may end up shortening your commute time, as you pass colleagues in cars gridlocked at junctions.
An ebike journey is virtually effortless; using full assist, or a throttle, if the ebike has one, will get you to your destination just as fresh as when you left home. Any physical effort you have made on your journey is gentle exercise, serious effort is not an issue, unless you want it to be by lowering the assist level, or turning off the motor entirely. Gentle exercise is probably one of the most beneficial aspects of an ebike; keep fit without the muscle strain!
Kitted out with a rack over the front or rear wheel, or both, then an ebike can carry a great deal of shopping either in baskets or in panniers. The extra weight is not an issue on an ebike.
If you have a family, both you and your partner can have ebikes, and older children could have them also, depending on legislation where you live, and still be better off financially than buying a new car.
Ebikes can be fitted out with child seats for younger children, or even pull a child trailer if desirable. There are few circumstances where an ebike cannot be used just the same as a car would be.
One of the biggest pros of using an ebike though, instead of a car, is the benefit for the environment. You will be actively assisting in the fight against climate change by lowering you, and your family’s carbon footprint. You will be saving the planet as well as saving money.
See also: 3 Examples of How an Ebike can Improve Your Life
And: Guide to Ebikes, Benefits, and Buying One for a City Commute
The Cons of an Ebike
There is no doubt you are susceptible to the weather on an ebike. Depending on where you live in the world can dictate how much of an issue this is. Despite the benefits of light exercise and the fresh air you get from ebiking, it can still be a hardship cycling in cold and wet and stormy conditions.
If bad weather is an issue on choosing an ebike, then factor in the cost of purchasing the proper clothing to protect yourself from such weather when finalizing your decision to buy an ebike or not.
An ebike is usually designed for a single person, unless you opt for a tandem ebike, or some other configuration. Therefore, if you are used to going out as a family, you will either have to purchase more than one ebike, or kit the parent’s ebikes out to carry the kids also, if necessary.
Long journeys have to be planned carefully on an ebike. You need to ensure you can recharge the battery at your destination, wherever that may be, to be sure of getting home again with power.
Summary: Car or Ebike?
Weighing up the pros and cons of each method of transport is probably the only way to logically decide what is best for you. Your personal circumstances, family make up, and finances will also have to be taken into consideration.
Other options may be available to you.
Buy an electric car – greener than a petrol or diesel model, but still very expensive.
Keep your present car, but also purchase an ebike and use the car less – This option will save you some on fuel costs, but keeping the car will still be expensive.
Sometimes, all in, or all out, is the best way. Having both a car and an ebike may be great, but will you make the most of the ebike if you only use it occasionally?
I hope I have given you some serious points to consider, and from a purely personal point of view, I hope you opt for purchasing a new ebike rather than a car. Whatever you do decide, I am sure it will be the right decision for you and your family.
04 Dec 2021