> could/should replace car usage for many people
Motorcycles already did that. E-bikes or E-motos do not bring any advantages compared to normal motorbikes, so you shouldn't expect many people to switch.
Motorcycles already did that. E-bikes or E-motos do not bring any advantages compared to normal motorbikes, so you shouldn't expect many people to switch.
One of the major problems with ebikes is the existence of cars and related infra.
Motorcycle culture is something you choose if you participate in. If you're a lady commuting to work on a scooter, few people will expect you to participate in that.
I think e-motos have a better chance of replacing cars than e-bikes ever do though. The scale of our cities and distance people travel almost necessitate the higher speeds. It will become more popular as economics force it, if the average car keeps costing more and groceries too, while wages stay pretty flat, well groceries will eventually win.
Actually, the economic forces being what they are, have average car age at an all time high in the US [0]. It is likely that once these old cars die off; a large portion of people simply will not be able to afford new cars and at some point the supply of used cars will be insufficient and people will be forced to entertain cheaper alternatives.
[0] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/average-u-s-vehicle-age...
Yes, there's a few extra hundred bucks in cost, and there's an electricity bill for charging it, but frankly that's nothing. You can buy an ebike for 3 digits, and you could include the power bill in that figure and not notice.
Of course not, since motorcycles are much much cheaper than cars.