Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden. So did you ever think that E bikes would become such a big deal? It's kind of like Back to the Future when Marty McFly was awestruck by all the future
technology. Now, back in 2021, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, including a $4.1 billion provision in tax credits aimed at promoting electric bikes. Now, this is a sector where even Elon Musk has not ventured yet. Now E bikes have rapidly transitioned from a novelty to a mainstream mode of transport.
I see them all over the streets and they provide significant benefits to delivery workers during the pandemic times and commuters now who prefer not to arrive sweaty at their destinations. They don't want to ride a traditional bicycle, so now they have E bikes to zip around the
city. And despite some derision over the supposed purity of cycling, with E bike riders accused of taking shortcuts, these electric assists have been instrumental in encouraging people to engage in healthy exercise. This is particularly true for older or less practice cyclists who might otherwise avoid biking due to dotting hills or long distances. Or they're just out of shape.
And E bikes are helping to make cycling accessible and enjoyable for a broader audience, pushing more people off the couch and out of the streets. However, high-powered class 3E bikes, which can reach speeds of over 40 mph, have caused friction busy urban areas like New York City.
Now these models raise important discussions about the future of urban mobility, suggesting that E bikes could free up St. space, get the cars out of there, offer alternatives to cars, and reduce energy consumption and emissions. Now, California's Air Resources Board recently allocated about $10 million in rebates for E bike purchases. It's a small scale version of tax incentives offered for EVs, like the $7500 government federal rebate for EVs at this
time. But the surgeon E bike popularity has spread innovation with new tech ideas emerging such as rain proof cargo bikes, pavement embedded wireless charging and automated stabilization systems for senior riders. City Q is taking pre-orders for a four wheeled cargo bike marketing as providing a Tesla feeling for cyclists. They've already started shipping those by the way. This burst of creativity is transforming the E bike industry and expanding its potential for
all users. So back in 2020, about 500,000 E bikes were sold in the US compared to 210,000 plug in cars, according to estimates. And market research firm NPD Group reported that the pandemic led to a 145% increase in E bike sales from 2019 to 2020, more than doubling the growth of
traditional bicycles. Now, industry analysts predict this trend will continue, with global E bike market expected to grow from 32.5 billion last year to $53 billion over the course of 2025. Now that's a growth rate of over 10%. Now, even in Europe, known for its cycling culture, E bikes sales increased by 23% in 2019. Now, by 2023, there will be or there were over 300 million E
bikes on the roads. Now it's a significant shift from the normal transportation trends of regular bikes, with E bikes playing a crucial role in urban mobility and sustainability efforts going forward. Now there's two main types of E bikes though, hub motors and mid
drive motors. Now hub motors are built right into the wheel center and are available in two types geared hub motors, which use internal gears to operate efficiently at high RPM, and gearless hub motors which link the motors strata directly to the bike axle, reducing the mechanical wear of the system. Now these motors are affordable, low maintenance and widely produced, making them a popular
choice for E bike manufacturers. Now despite these benefits, hub motors have limitations though, particularly when it comes to hill climbs and handling. They typically offer a single gear ratio which is not ideal for steep inclines and can make a bike kind of feel unbalanced. Now, changing tires on hub motor equipped bikes can also be challenging due to the wheel
mounted motor. Now mid drive motors on the other hand, which are located inside the bike frame between the pedals, offer a completely different approach. These motors transfer power through the chain drive to the rear wheel, providing significant torque for climbing hills or starting from a standstill. It allows for more efficient power delivery, although it can put additional stress on the bike's chain of gears.
But it's not too bad. Now, the main advantage of mid drive motors is their ability to deliver sustained power on long climbs. However, this constant power can wear off chains faster, not too fast, and E bikes with mid drive motors are often equipped with stronger chains to handle the increased load anyway. And if the chain breaks, the bike becomes inoperable, much like a traditional bike.
Now, newer mid drive motors are smaller and lighter, often integrated into the bike frame to maintain a sleek, stealthy appearance. Now both hub and mid drive motors use sensors to detect pedal force for wheel rotation, activating the motor to assist the driver or the rider. And mid drive motors typically use torque sensors for smoother power delivery. With hub, motors often rely on cadence sensors, which can lead to less consistent motor
assistance. Now, battery range is a significant consideration for E bike users. While some companies claim ranges of up to 100 miles, real world conditions often resert in much lower figures. Variables such as rider weight, wind resistance, and also the terrain you're riding on can all impact battery for performance just like any other electric vehicle.
But generally E bikes with about 750 Watt motors and 480 Watt hour batteries can go about 20 miles on battery power alone and up to about 32 miles with pedal assist. So that's pretty good, 20 miles on a battery charge. You just have to charge it up when you get there. That's not too bad, it's good for zipping around town too. Now the added weight of E bike battery is usually between 6 and
8 lbs. Not really heavy, but over time it feels it and it also affects the handling and requires more effect or more effort from the rider when the battery is depleted. Battery placement also impacts the bike's balance. Rear rack mounted batteries are easy to access but can make the bike feel top heavy. Down to mounted batteries are more balanced while integrated down to batteries offer the best aesthetic and also handling.
Now the three class system promoted by people for bikes categorizes E bikes based on the resist type and maximum speed. Class 1E bikes providing pedal assist up to 20 mph. Class 2 is 20 mph but include a throttle for motor only propulsion. Class 3E bikes are pedal assist only but can reach speeds of up to 20 mph. Systems help. They help standardize the regulations and guide consumers and choosing the right E bike for their needs. Now class 3E bikes are the
fastest. They're typically restricted to roadways and bike lanes, avoiding multi use pass shared with pedestrians. In Europe E bike E mountain bikes are EMT. BS are generally accepted on non motorized trails, but in the US federal agencies like the Forest Service and National Park Service classify EMT BS as motorized vehicles, limiting their trail access. Now E bike prices vary widely. You can get them for anywhere from I've seen them for $400.00 on sale at Best Buy and Walmart.
Things like that. They could go up to ten, $15,000 too. So it depends on what you need it for and also your price range. So you want to be aware of how powerful your motor is, what kind of connectivity you have, luxurious components like is the seat really soft? Are you going to take a long ride? What kind of seat do you want? Does it have a a storage compartment? Is it four wheels or two wheels or three wheels? It's up to you. And of course paint.
And are you going to commute with it? Is it going to be a a short commute where you go, you know, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, maybe 20 minutes? Or are you going to take longer rides for 30 minutes to an hour? That's all up the question and how much you going to pay for it? So giant Trek, specialized in Schwinn, they've all embraced E bikes and BMW has also made E
bikes. Porsche has a majority stake in Gray, PA high end bike company powered or founded by electric hypercar entrepreneur, signaling the automotive industry interest in E bikes. I mean, I don't, I do understand why they're doing it, but somebody like Porsche doesn't really need an E bike. They have wonderful cars, so they don't really need E bikes, but it's a good way to diversify their portfolio I guess. Now, E bikes, of course, are very popular now. You see them everywhere.
They're becoming an integral part of urban transportation solutions. I see them all over the place now. And as more people adopt E bikes for commuting, recreation and delivery services, the benefits of reduced emission, lower energy consumption and improved accessibility are becoming increasingly evident. Now remember there's three types of E bikes so far, the three class systems. So 20 mph and that's for 1/2 is 20 mph for motor only propulsion in class three are pedaled
assist. So choose wisely when you go out there and grab an E bike anywhere from 400 ish 4 to $500 to 10,000 you can get them really tricked out. So yeah, that's it for E bikes today everybody. Thank you for listening. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your
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