How an e-bike can save you money
We all know that there are a vast number of benefits to riding an electric bike from improved health to reducing your carbon footprint. But did you know that using an e-bike for commuting could also save you money in the long term?
With the cost of living rapidly rising each year, exploring new ways to save money, particularly when it comes to transport, can be extremely beneficial. Discover how much money you could save by commuting with an e-bike as we break down the facts and figures. How much can I save with an e-bike?
With the UK aiming to become carbon neutral by 2030, e-mobility has swiftly grown in popularity in recent years. Electric vehicles can be much more cost-efficient compared to petrol equivalents but, despite the initial cost, electric bikes in particular can offer even further value for money. To demonstrate, we’ve compared the cost per mile of the Carrera Vengeance e-bike against the two top selling electric cars of 2021:
| kWH | Cost per mile | 20 mile trip |
|---|---|---|
| Carrera Vengeance - 0.32 | £0.002 | £0.04 |
| Tesla Model 3 - 60 | £0.045 | £0.90 |
| Kia e-niro - 64 | £0.064 | £1.27 |
(Average electricity cost per Wh - 28p)
As you can see, the cost per mile of the Carrera Vengeance is significantly cheaper compared to the costs of the electric cars. Although, it’s important to consider what kinds of journeys you will take, the length of time and what method of transport will be most appropriate for the situation.
To see just how much money you could save on your daily commute with an e-bike – try out our cycle calculator aka the Cyculator. Simply type in the location of where you commute from and commute to and the Cyculator will do the rest. You can see how long your journey will take each day and annually and the cost per year compared to a car and public transport – the results may surprise you!
You can discover more about electric vehicle and how much it costs to charge them here.
Additional benefits of riding an e-bike
As mentioned previously, there are also significant environmental and health benefits to riding an e-bike in addition to the cost savings. Some of which are as follows:
E-bike environmental benefits
In 2019, it was confirmed that transport was the largest emitting sector for greenhouse gases in the UK, producing 455 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (mtCO2e) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Domestic transport also produced 27% of the UK’s total emissions, despite decreasing 5% since 1990.
The government are expected to release transport emission figures for 2020 during summer 2022.
With carbon emissions still a significant concern in the UK, you can drastically reduce your carbon footprint simply by using your e-bike more. E-bikes are classed as zero emission vehicles, meaning they are a simple way to help step closer towards carbon neutrality.
There are also substantial cost savings to be made in association with environmental factors. With an e-bike, you can avoid paying congestion and clean air zone charges, which can be up to £15 and £12.50 respectively in London.
E-bike health benefits
E-bikes are also excellent for helping you push your cycling limits. While there is the misconception that cycling with an e-bike is ‘cheating’, pedalling an e-bike still requires effort and the assistance of electric power can help you cycle further distances compared to a regular bike. Providing moderate intensity exercise, cycling with an e-bike is great for improving cardiovascular health. Using your e-bike more means your heart will gradually work harder and eventually adapt to increased levels of physical activity.
Cycling in general is also great for developing muscle tone, particularly your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. You can discover more about the health benefits of electric bikes here.
While some e-bikes can be costly, they can be more low-cost than what you might think. We stock e-bikes that start from just £499, and with lots of different finance options via Klarna to help you spread the cost of your purchase, they’ve never been more affordable.
Still not sure if an e-bike is for you? You can book a free electric bike trial at your local Halfords store. Simply enter your post code into the search bar to discover which nearby stores offer test rides.
Remember, if you want to get your hands on the best e-bikes, you want Halfords.
Shop our range of electric bikes