40 Million Electric Bikes Spark Environmental Dilemma in China

Grace Zhang is a like many other Chinese women. She is a middle-aged business owner, mother of a young daughter and one of more than 40 million new users of the electric bike, or e-bike, in China. Zhang is among China’s emerging and rapidly motorizing middle class, riding China’s economic growth. She leads a busy life; between operating an English school, transporting her child, and shopping, her day is full of activity. Her daily activities require high levels of flexibility and mobility, needs met by her new e-bike.

Electric bike users have taken Chinese cities by storm, quickly outnumbering the cars and in many cities, bicycles.

Proponents would suggest that the e-bike phenomenon is a positive development; after all, e-bikes are quiet, non-polluting and provide more mobility than any other mode of transportation.

Opponents charge that e-bikes are unsafe, increase congestion, and indirectly pollute the environment through increased power plant emissions and lead pollution from their heavy batteries. Several cities have attempted to, or successfully, banned electric bikes from roadways, including the mega-cities of Beijing and Guangzhou.

Still, there has been little research on the true impacts of electric bikes in China.

We've put together an electric bike specification wish-list below. At the present time, there are no machines that win in every category, but the closer yours gets the better. If the salesman is unable to provide all the answers, or starts blustering or attempting to blind you with science, we'd recommend looking elsewhere. A good shop should be able to provide most of the figures in a straightforward and honest manner, but some are quite incompentent:

Weight Less than 30kg (66lb)
Price Less than £600
Maximum assisted speed Not less than 15mph (legal maximum)
Peak power More than 300 watts
Power consumption Less than 10 watt/hours per mile
Range** More than 20 miles
Battery type NiMH or Li-ion (Nickel-Metal Hydride or Lithium-ion)
Replacement battery price Less than £100

** You'll need to verify this for yourself - manufacturers figures are universally dubious

A few other pointers: If you are expecting to tackle very steep hills (in excess of 17%, or 1 in 6), we'd recommend a Crank Drive motor. This type puts power through the rear gear system and can be fine-tuned to suit almost any environment. It's the best system if you can afford it. The more common Hub Motor effectively has only one gear, and although some are very powerful, it will prove less efficient in a really hilly area. For most other purposes a hub motor is fine, but avoid Friction Drive unless you intend to make light use of the bike. The roller and/or the tyre tend to wear out in a few hundred miles.….