If you think electric bicycles are a hit in the US, check out what’s happening across the Atlantic. Battery-boosted models now comprise a majority of bike sales in several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, and they’re rapidly gaining share in others such as France and Switzerland. North Americans vacationing in Europe this summer can expect to see pelotons of e-bikes being used to commute to the office, ferry children to school or hit the trails.
This explosive growth has delighted European policymakers eager to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing car trips (and, better yet, boost public health and free up street space in the process). Countries like Italy and Finland and cities including Paris and London have offered rebates to e-bike buyers, an approach also seen in numerous US states (including Colorado and Connecticut) and cities (like Denver and the District of Columbia).
Continue reading Europe’s E-Bike Boom Has Lessons for US Cities