Can We Make Bicycles Sustainable Again ? - LOW-TECH MAGAZINE
▻https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2023/02/can-we-make-bicycles-sustainable-again.html
Combining energy-intensive materials, short lifetimes, and electric motor assistance can increase lifecycle emissions to surprising levels, especially for cargo cycles. These vehicles are larger and heavier than passenger bicycles and need more powerful motors and batteries. A recent study calculated the lifecycle emissions per kilometer to be 80 gCO2 – only half those of an electric van (158 gCO2/km). [17] The researchers explain this by the difference in lifetime mileage – 34,000 km compared to 240,000 km for the van – and the carbon fiber composites in many components, including the chassis of the vehicle. The lifecycle emissions of the cargo cycle, including the electricity used to charge its battery, amount to 2,689 kg. That is almost 40 times the lifecycle emissions of two steel bicycles (each with a 15,000 km lifecycle mileage).