The impact of e-bikes and electric scooters on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.

The rise of e-bikes and electric scooters has been accompanied by a lot of hype about their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. And there is some evidence that they are having an impact. A recent study found that e-bike use in the United States reduced transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 482 million metric tons in 2017, the equivalent of taking 1.2 million cars off the road.

But it's important to keep things in perspective. E-bikes and electric scooters are still a tiny fraction of the transportation landscape, and their impact on greenhouse gas emissions is dwarfed by that of cars and trucks. In 2017, cars and trucks accounted for about 60 percent of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

So while e-bikes and electric scooters can play a role in reducing transportation emissions, they are not going to be the silver bullet that solves the problem. We need a comprehensive approach that includes a shift to cleaner vehicles, smarter land use, and more walking, biking, and public transit.

Aug 06, 2023