Take a look at Lightwheels.com. and LocalExpression.com We don’t need a contest or a competition, we need an exploration and sharing of information. We need to return to small scale production and craftsmanship. Transportation needs the same make-over that communication and information have gotten. Make it smaller. Bring the cost down so everyone can enjoy the advantages of our new perceptions and discoveries. Please don’t discount the importance of the imagination. It is the most powerful weapon we have against the forces of greed and top-down control.

I understand why they’d want to push for more realistic designs after the sillyness of the Seoul Cycle Design winners a few years ago (which asked for real-world, manufacturable designs but then awarded wins to vapourware and bad science) but I think they’ve effectively ruled out any chance of getting many entries.

I suspect the winner will be French anyway!

Well James, to take part to this design contest, this is unfortunately a bit late… or have YOU prepared something? (I have seen that they reference you…)

“there are no barriers except our imaginations”

Incorrect. There is the reality of physics. Economies of scale. Resource usage and waste disposal. Infrastructure allocation and legal issues. You can’t just imagine a far-distant, far-different future and take it as a given. You have to chart a path of the necessary steps it will take to get there. There are all kinds of barriers that need to be overcome, and they *can* be, but you have to acknowledge that they’re there instead of running head on into them like a brick wall.

I agree that, from what I’ve read, e-bikes in China are essentially electric scooters. As such, they probably shouldn’t be part of an e-bike discussion, save for the fact that scooters themselves aren’t popular in the US either.

I mentioned Segways only to point out that they were another vehicle that was pushed as being the catalyst for car-free cities. Not only did it fail to achieve that, but it isn’t a very popular product. It is easy to see parallels with e-bikes in the “over-priced bullshit” department.

I agree that places like The Netherlands and China are worth examining. In context, biking is already more popular there than in places like the US, so moving “up” to an e-bike is a lot easier to understand. It just isn’t obvious to US drivers that alternatives (not only bikes of all kinds, but motorcycles and public transit, too) are worth the bother.

Like it or not, it is *we* cyclists who have to be convinced that e-bikes are viable, because we’re the ones who will be out there to show the drivers that change might not be as hard as they think. Back when I rode a motorcycle more, my favorite thing to do was to accelerate away from stop lights as quick as I could; I wanted to make it obvious why *that* vehicle was better than a car for me, and maybe they’d think about changing their commute to be more fun, too. Other than having a smile on my face, most drivers can’t tell why I like even a lowly bike better than a car. I’d love to see an e-bike that made it obvious to drivers why they might be a good choice, but that’ll never happen if they can’t even make an e-bike that makes *me* think they’re a good choice.

Sorry to all that I have not been able to find time to really engage in this discussion, but I do agree with the statement above. I encourage everyone to submit an entry to the eBikeTec competition, and perhaps we can build on this subject with the next design competition here at Bicycle Design.

Thanks for keeping the discussion going! I really do appreciate hearing everyone’s thoughts on this.

Yes ebikes are relatively expensive at thousands of dollars although there are some that sell in the mid-hundreds as well. Usually they are the heavier models since they use $30 lead acid batteries instead of $200+ lithium ion but those p[rices are coming down rapidly and will provide for a decent ride with extended range within most pocketbooks. Bike-sharing is an obvious hedge against the cost and needs to be developed as well. If these machines are used by commuters to get into work and can be conveniently recharges, they can be used all day for other purposes and still be in shape to return somebody home after their work (or shopping or visiting or recreating) day is over.

One reason these bikes are so popular in China is because they include mopeds, which are called electric bikes and nobody pedals. This is a shame since getting some exercise is part of the point and there is a serious argument in Europe over whether they should be pedal-activated or throttle-activated. I am distressed by the fact that 300 poiund mopeds are asserting their legality as bikes when they have useless pedals and can not be pedaled. The better of the ebikes, Giant for instance and several models of other manufacturers, are perfectly fine bikes, with 7 gear internal hubs and excellent qualities as a regular bike. I agree that many are garbage as bikes and are expected to be motor-driven constantly and really should be called mopeds and not be able to claim to be bikes. That has been a problem for 30 years, since they first appeared but there are reputable manufacturers who understand this issue and make them right and there are those who will try to scam you if you let them.

One big problem is their legal status. Federal law HR727 says that under 1 horse and 20 mph they’re bikes not motorized vehicles and that this law supersedes State laws more restrictive but it just ain’t so. NYC claims they are illegal even though the restaurant delivery business is loaded with them. This ambiguity or uncertainty is very discouraging to possible users and is one of the reasons that they have not caught on here.

Segways are over-priced bullshit. They bribed legislators in 30 some states to make them legal to the exclusion of scooters at 1/10 the price, created a monopoly because J and J invested 200 million in it and didn’t want to lose their money. Corrupting politicians is how GM and Standard oil destroyed the rail system and we need integrity as much as we need better transportation. Please don’t accuse me of siding with them.

If 25% of the bikes sold in that flat Republic the Netherlands are ebikes, how are they not viable here? Still pricey, yes, but not viable? Share one with a friend and the cost drops by 50%. Put a couple of big baskets on it and compute how much you save in gas and insurance. They are the portal to a new paradigm and that doesn’t happen very often but it is going to take a boost in our expectations and lots of creative energy to take it to the next level. I am reality-based too. When ebikes were 75-80 pounds there was little interest. Now that they are beginning to resemble ordinary bikes in all respects they have arrived and should be welcomed with cheers and gratitude, not fear and resentment.