Can eBikes help with the country's transport problems?

It really is great to see and hear the rest of the world catching up. I woke up this morning to two pieces of news which I found very interesting. First, that new petrol and diesel cars would be banned in the UK from 2040 – seems like a step in the right direction if we are to reduce the environmental impact caused by transport. Second, that the number of women cycling is up by a lot – which is of course fantastic – but that more can be done to reduce the barriers to entry.

With a global shift towards electric vehicles, electric bikes can play a part in this future and the government’s plans, but are they being considered?

Getting into lycra for your ride, getting hot and sweaty and the fear of being slow and getting left behind when riding in a group were only a few of the barriers to entry mentioned by Joanna Rowsell Shand on BBC Breakfast this morning. And these factors may make the difference between leaving your bike at home, taking expensive and overcrowded public transport – or worse, jumping into your polluting diesel car for your short trip to wherever it is that you’re going.

Can electric bikes help? E-bikes allow you to travel further, faster and with a great deal more fun. Often said to be ‘cheating’ this is very simply challenged by the fact that if we are getting a person off the sofa, or better, out of their car and on to two wheels that might not normally do so, surely that’s a step forward?

We’re not talking about the die-hard middle-aged men in lycra (or MAMILs), who are seemingly quite happy to dress in skin-tight lycra, sweat profusely whilst riding their bone-shakingly uncomfortable road bike across town to work – where they’ll almost certainly be needing a shower. They’ll catch up too eventually. For those that are open to the idea, the benefits are massive – as this report by Transport for London demonstrates.

Here at Fully Charged, we are looking to help change the mindset and culture of future transport. The only dedicated electric bike retailer in London and one of the biggest in the UK, we have a huge range of bikes to suit all needs –from urban commuters, city cruisers, folders, mountain bikes and cargo carriers.

Come in, take a spin and help us to shape a better, cleaner future!