According to the 2024 statistics of the American Automobile Association (AAA), a one-way brief trip (≤8 kilometers) on a fuel-based vehicle is as much as $0.68, including insurance, maintenance, and depreciation costs as well as fuel. In contrast, the kilometer cost of an electric bicycle is only $0.04, which is 8.6% of the cost of a car. Depending on 5 times a week short-distance scenarios with 10 kilometer round trip, users save $1,420 annually, and the investment payback period is decreased to 6 months. Research carried out at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands shows that on a 5-kilometer journey, the travel time on an electric bike averages 18 minutes, only 4 minutes more than motor cars, but saves 67% of parking time costs and 92% of congestion charge fees.
From the time perspective, the INRIX Global Traffic Report shows that in 2023, the total delay of cars caused by traffic lights and congestion was 7.2 minutes per 10 kilometers for short-distance urban routes, while the delay is reduced to 1.8 minutes by the electric bike through the bike lane network. Transport for London’s collected data shows that within a radius of 3 kilometers, the “door-to-door” speed of e-Bikes is up to 19.5 kilometers per hour, exceeding automobiles’ average of 17.3 kilometers per hour. Especially in cities such as Paris where the “15-minute city” concept is applied, The rate at which electric Bikes replace cars has been as high as 39%. Technological advancements bring it even closer: Bosch’s new 2024 Performance Line SX motor achieves a top power of 600W, enabling the vehicle to climb a slope of 12% at 28 kilometers per hour loaded with 120 kilograms.
Environmentally, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates show that the carbon intensity of fuel cars’ emissions in the cold start phase of brief distances is as high as 430 grams per kilometer, 2.3 times greater than for the hot engine condition. But the carbon discharge per kilometer from electric bikes is merely 22 grams (based on the average emission factor of the power grid), and the efficiency of reduction in emissions is 94.9%. If 10% of private car journeys up to 5 kilometers in the United States were replaced by electric bikes, the carbon saving would be 12 million tons annually, equivalent to the environmental impact of planting 240 million pine trees. In the business scenario, Amazon tested substituting 50% of its “last mile” fuel-guzzling delivery trucks with electric Bikes during 2024, decreasing the delivery price of a single package by 28%, carbon emissions by 91%, and the rate of customer complaints fell by 19% through the enhancement in punctuality.
Policy support expedites the process of substitution. The European Union Micro-Mobility Subsidy Act of 2025 provides a subsidy of up to 900 euros to the buyers of electric Bikes, which is 30% to 40% of the bike price. Paris city government statistics in France show that after the enlargement of the electric bike lanes to 510 kilometers in 2024, morning rush hour traffic volume decreased by 14% year over year and traffic accident rates dropped by 23%. Better charging infrastructure also allays the range anxiety: ChargePoint’s “street lamp charging station” network that debuted across North America in 2024 has increased the probability that electric bike users will be able to locate a charging point within a 5-minute search to 89%, and a single 20-minute fast charge can restore 80% of the battery life.
In terms of security, the German Insurance Federation report in 2023 emphasized: The accident rate of electric bicycles per billion kilometers for short distances is 1.7, lower than that of cars at 2.4. Moreover, 75% of the accident injuries could be avoided by intelligent helmets (e.g., the 360° indicator light concept of the Lumos Ultra). Technological progress has also enhanced all-weather useability: The anti-slip tires the Swedish company Cake has just released have a braking distance only 12% longer on wet surfaces compared to dry surfaces, which is better than the 41% longer braking distance of traditional bicycles.
Feasibility was established by actual alternative examples: Results of the Portland Shared electric bike Project in 2024 show that the median distance of a single trip by users was 4.3 kilometers, and 32% of trips directly replaced originally planned car trips. The economic model shows that if one electric bike is owned by a family, the car mileage per year is reduced by 1,800 kilometers, the fuel cost is saved by 284 US dollars, and the depreciation cost on the vehicle is saved by 15%. For family with an average of not exceeding 3 short trips a day, the substitute cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) of electric bike is up to 1:3.7, which is larger than electric scooters (1:2.1) and public transport (1:1.9). Therefore, based on the combination of mature technology, policy support and cost advantage, electric bike is now a cost-reducing and environmentally friendly alternative to motorized private cars for short-distance travel.