Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The
Boring Company and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden.
So did you ever think that E bikes would become such a big
deal? It's kind of like Back to the
Future when Marty McFly was awestruck by all the future
technology. Now, back in 2021, the House of
Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, including a
$4.1 billion provision in tax credits aimed at promoting
electric bikes. Now, this is a sector where even
Elon Musk has not ventured yet. Now E bikes have rapidly
transitioned from a novelty to a mainstream mode of transport.
I see them all over the streets and they provide significant
benefits to delivery workers during the pandemic times and
commuters now who prefer not to arrive sweaty at their
destinations. They don't want to ride a
traditional bicycle, so now they have E bikes to zip around the
city. And despite some derision over
the supposed purity of cycling, with E bike riders accused of
taking shortcuts, these electric assists have been instrumental
in encouraging people to engage in healthy exercise.
This is particularly true for older or less practice cyclists
who might otherwise avoid biking due to dotting hills or long
distances. Or they're just out of shape.
And E bikes are helping to make cycling accessible and enjoyable
for a broader audience, pushing more people off the couch and
out of the streets. However, high-powered class 3E
bikes, which can reach speeds of over 40 mph, have caused
friction busy urban areas like New York City.
Now these models raise important discussions about the future of
urban mobility, suggesting that E bikes could free up St. space,
get the cars out of there, offer alternatives to cars, and reduce
energy consumption and emissions.
Now, California's Air Resources Board recently allocated about
$10 million in rebates for E bike purchases.
It's a small scale version of tax incentives offered for EVs,
like the $7500 government federal rebate for EVs at this
time. But the surgeon E bike
popularity has spread innovation with new tech ideas emerging
such as rain proof cargo bikes, pavement embedded wireless
charging and automated stabilization systems for senior
riders. City Q is taking pre-orders for
a four wheeled cargo bike marketing as providing a Tesla
feeling for cyclists. They've already started shipping
those by the way. This burst of creativity is
transforming the E bike industry and expanding its potential for
all users. So back in 2020, about 500,000 E
bikes were sold in the US compared to 210,000 plug in
cars, according to estimates. And market research firm NPD
Group reported that the pandemic led to a 145% increase in E bike
sales from 2019 to 2020, more than doubling the growth of
traditional bicycles. Now, industry analysts predict
this trend will continue, with global E bike market expected to
grow from 32.5 billion last year to $53 billion over the course
of 2025. Now that's a growth rate of over
10%. Now, even in Europe, known for
its cycling culture, E bikes sales increased by 23% in 2019.
Now, by 2023, there will be or there were over 300 million E
bikes on the roads. Now it's a significant shift
from the normal transportation trends of regular bikes, with E
bikes playing a crucial role in urban mobility and
sustainability efforts going forward.
Now there's two main types of E bikes though, hub motors and mid
drive motors. Now hub motors are built right
into the wheel center and are available in two types geared
hub motors, which use internal gears to operate efficiently at
high RPM, and gearless hub motors which link the motors
strata directly to the bike axle, reducing the mechanical
wear of the system. Now these motors are affordable,
low maintenance and widely produced, making them a popular
choice for E bike manufacturers. Now despite these benefits, hub
motors have limitations though, particularly when it comes to
hill climbs and handling. They typically offer a single
gear ratio which is not ideal for steep inclines and can make
a bike kind of feel unbalanced. Now, changing tires on hub motor
equipped bikes can also be challenging due to the wheel
mounted motor. Now mid drive motors on the
other hand, which are located inside the bike frame between
the pedals, offer a completely different approach.
These motors transfer power through the chain drive to the
rear wheel, providing significant torque for climbing
hills or starting from a standstill.
It allows for more efficient power delivery, although it can
put additional stress on the bike's chain of gears.
But it's not too bad. Now, the main advantage of mid
drive motors is their ability to deliver sustained power on long
climbs. However, this constant power can
wear off chains faster, not too fast, and E bikes with mid drive
motors are often equipped with stronger chains to handle the
increased load anyway. And if the chain breaks, the
bike becomes inoperable, much like a traditional bike.
Now, newer mid drive motors are smaller and lighter, often
integrated into the bike frame to maintain a sleek, stealthy
appearance. Now both hub and mid drive
motors use sensors to detect pedal force for wheel rotation,
activating the motor to assist the driver or the rider.
And mid drive motors typically use torque sensors for smoother
power delivery. With hub, motors often rely on
cadence sensors, which can lead to less consistent motor
assistance. Now, battery range is a
significant consideration for E bike users.
While some companies claim ranges of up to 100 miles, real
world conditions often resert in much lower figures.
Variables such as rider weight, wind resistance, and also the
terrain you're riding on can all impact battery for performance
just like any other electric vehicle.
But generally E bikes with about 750 Watt motors and 480 Watt
hour batteries can go about 20 miles on battery power alone and
up to about 32 miles with pedal assist.
So that's pretty good, 20 miles on a battery charge.
You just have to charge it up when you get there.
That's not too bad, it's good for zipping around town too.
Now the added weight of E bike battery is usually between 6 and
8 lbs. Not really heavy, but over time
it feels it and it also affects the handling and requires more
effect or more effort from the rider when the battery is
depleted. Battery placement also impacts
the bike's balance. Rear rack mounted batteries are
easy to access but can make the bike feel top heavy.
Down to mounted batteries are more balanced while integrated
down to batteries offer the best aesthetic and also handling.
Now the three class system promoted by people for bikes
categorizes E bikes based on the resist type and maximum speed.
Class 1E bikes providing pedal assist up to 20 mph.
Class 2 is 20 mph but include a throttle for motor only
propulsion. Class 3E bikes are pedal assist
only but can reach speeds of up to 20 mph.
Systems help. They help standardize the
regulations and guide consumers and choosing the right E bike
for their needs. Now class 3E bikes are the
fastest. They're typically restricted to
roadways and bike lanes, avoiding multi use pass shared
with pedestrians. In Europe E bike E mountain
bikes are EMT. BS are generally accepted on non
motorized trails, but in the US federal agencies like the Forest
Service and National Park Service classify EMT BS as
motorized vehicles, limiting their trail access.
Now E bike prices vary widely. You can get them for anywhere
from I've seen them for $400.00 on sale at Best Buy and Walmart.
Things like that. They could go up to ten, $15,000
too. So it depends on what you need
it for and also your price range.
So you want to be aware of how powerful your motor is, what
kind of connectivity you have, luxurious components like is the
seat really soft? Are you going to take a long
ride? What kind of seat do you want?
Does it have a a storage compartment?
Is it four wheels or two wheels or three wheels?
It's up to you. And of course paint.
And are you going to commute with it?
Is it going to be a a short commute where you go, you know,
5 minutes, 10 minutes, maybe 20 minutes?
Or are you going to take longer rides for 30 minutes to an hour?
That's all up the question and how much you going to pay for
it? So giant Trek, specialized in
Schwinn, they've all embraced E bikes and BMW has also made E
bikes. Porsche has a majority stake in
Gray, PA high end bike company powered or founded by electric
hypercar entrepreneur, signaling the automotive industry interest
in E bikes. I mean, I don't, I do understand
why they're doing it, but somebody like Porsche doesn't
really need an E bike. They have wonderful cars, so
they don't really need E bikes, but it's a good way to diversify
their portfolio I guess. Now, E bikes, of course, are
very popular now. You see them everywhere.
They're becoming an integral part of urban transportation
solutions. I see them all over the place
now. And as more people adopt E bikes
for commuting, recreation and delivery services, the benefits
of reduced emission, lower energy consumption and improved
accessibility are becoming increasingly evident.
Now remember there's three types of E bikes so far, the three
class systems. So 20 mph and that's for 1/2 is
20 mph for motor only propulsion in class three are pedaled
assist. So choose wisely when you go out
there and grab an E bike anywhere from 400 ish 4 to $500
to 10,000 you can get them really tricked out.
So yeah, that's it for E bikes today everybody.
Thank you for listening. Hey, thank you so much for
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