Originally Posted by
madpogue
(...) The electric train / "real" train analogy would be meaningful if "real" trains were human-powered. Or if a diesel-powered bicycle could be considered a "real" bicycle. Otherwise, it's nonsense.
Whether it is nonsense or not is for y'all to decide. I made the remark for some additional perspective and, quite frankly, because I find it difficult to make up my mind about e-bikes.
On one hand the concept seems sympathetic: no exhaust gasses, easier for people with limited abilities, enabling longer commutes. On the other hand: what I'm seeing here, in real life, is that they do not replace cars but bicycles and the occasional moped. They are mainly bought by the general public, people who were riding 'normal' bicycles to school and to work before, and are glad they don't have to pedal that hard anymore. It's a luxury item that's quickly becoming the new normal.
To give you some data points, these are the Dutch stats from 2018:
Total population: 17 million
Total bicycle sales: 1,01 million
E-bike sales: 409,400 (up from 294.000 in 2017)
'Normal' bike sales: 495.390 (down from 545.490 in 2017)
So, less people are pedaling and the electricity has got to come from somewhere, so I'm not entirely convinced yet things are getting greener and healthier overall, at least not where I live.