Study finds electric bikes are 21% more fun and 13% more efficient than pedal bikes
Electric bikes, which provide motor assistance to make pedaling easier, have seen surging popularity over the past decade as a fun and efficient alternative form of transportation. One of the biggest successes of the e-bike movement has been creating new riders out of drivers that wouldn’t have otherwise considered switching from a car to a pedal bike. Now, a new study is showing just how much more efficient (and fun) e-bikes are than pedal bikes.
The study, titled “It’s electric! Measuring energy expenditure and perceptual differences between bicycles and electric-assist bicycles,” was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Transport & Health.
The researchers compared pedal bikes to electric assist bikes from a bike share program with one-hour rides on each bike, finding that e-bike riders used 13% less energy than pedal bike riders and had 21% higher enjoyment.
Participants in the study first underwent a bicycle maximal fitness test and then had body composition assessed.
They were provided with a pedal bicycle and an electric assist bike from a bike share program to perform two one-hour rides in a park circuit.
The participants’ heart rates as well as the bicycles’ speeds were continuously recorded throughout the rides. Perceived exertion levels were reported by the participants at four intervals during the ride. At the end of the ride, participants reported their enjoyment, difficulty, and tiredness levels.
The study used paired T-tests to compare differences between the pedal bike and electric bike rides.
The results likely won’t surprise anybody: Riders on the pedal bikes used more exertion and energy with a resulting higher average heart rate.
According to the heart monitors, pedal bike riders reached a higher mean percentage of maximum heart rate (69.6%) than the e-bike riders (61.5%).
Measured on a 1 to 5 Likert scale, e-bike riders reported a higher mean level of enjoyment (4.6) than pedal bike riders (3.8).
Additionally, both perceived exertion and tiredness were higher for the pedal bikes than the electric bikes.
The study’s results, while interesting in their own right, should also be viewed within the limits of the study.
A small sample size of just 15 individuals is well below what most statisticians would consider reasonable for drawing broader conclusions.
The study also doesn’t provide details on the type of electric bicycle used or its power level.
And perhaps most importantly, the study used a rather simplistic form of energy consumption analysis based on heart rate data.
Even so, it’s hard to argue with the general conclusion that electric bicycles make it easier and more enjoyable to cycle compared to a traditional pedal bicycle without electric assist. They require less exertion (resulting in lower average heart rates), which contributes to the “I don’t arrive at work all sweaty” benefit of e-bikes compared to pedal bikes.
Electric bicycles have been the subject of an increasing number of scientific studies in the last few years.
Such studies are helping correct misconceptions and reveal interesting new data about electric bikes.
For example, it is a common misconception that electric bicycles don’t offer exercise benefits, despite many studies showing the opposite.
Some studies have even shown that electric bicycles offer even more exercise than pedal bikes because riders often end up riding longer than they would on a pedal bike.
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A dozen Tesla vehicles burned at a store in Toulouse, France. Arson is suspected amid global protests and vandalism attacks against Tesla and Elon Musk.
Last night, a dozen Tesla vehicles burned down at Tesla’s retail and service location in Plaisance-du-Touch near Toulouse, France.
Firefighters arrived on the scene at around 4 a.m. and contained the fire to the vehicles. Eight of them were completely destroyed, and four were greatly damaged. The damages are estimated at over 700,000 euros.
According to the local news (translated from French), the police suspected arson as a hole was found in a fence, and threats had been made over the last few weeks. The Tesla location remained closed all day.
Tesla is currently being protested by anti-fascist groups around the world, especially in the US, where many are targeting Tesla to protest against Elon Musk’s involvement in the US government.
In France, there were a few protests planned, but some extremist groups are calling for widespread arson against Tesla stores:
I won’t share the link to the article since it gives step-by-step instructions on how to burn down Tesla stores without getting caught, but the manifesto explains that they are going after Tesla as a “symbol of capitalism,” although they also list a dozen other reasons including the fact that they think it’s “doable and cheap.”
Electrek’s Take
This is getting nuts. It’s not only dangerous, but it’s also not super effective in achieving the goal they claim to want to achieve.
Have they never heard of insurance? Tesla is having issues selling cars right now. You are burning unsold inventory that they can then claim to their insurance.
Sure, it disrupts their operations for a short period of time, but it’s not worth it.
Their manifesto does say to avoid violence and not to target vehicles owned by individuals – though it doesn’t sound like a strict rule for them, but I think these people are likely going to end up in jail for having achieved nothing.
The protests and boycotts are going strong. You don’t need to burn cars to make yourself heard.
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Environment
Ford F-150 Lightning sales have been falling for months: What’s going on with the EV pickup?
Is Ford’s electric pickup in trouble? Sales have been down for months, and February showed no relief. What’s going on with the Ford F-150 Lightning?
Ford F-150 Lightning sales drop again in February 2025
Ford’s US sales dropped by 9% last month. Although electrified vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, both notched double-digit growth, sales of Ford’s gas-powered (ICE) models, which accounted for over 85% of deliveries, fell nearly 13%.
Hybrids saw higher demand with sales up 27.5% to 15,357, while EV sales increased 15% to 7,326. The Mustang Mach-E was a bright spot with 3,312 models sold in February, up 13% from the prior year.
With 6,841 Mach-Es sold through the first three months of 2025, Ford’s electric crossover SUV remains a top-selling EV in the US.
Ford’s electric pickup didn’t fare as well. F-150 Lightning Sales were down nearly 15% last month with only 2,199 units sold. Through March, Ford has sold 15% fewer Lightning models than it did at this time last year.
Sales of the electric pickup have been slipping for months now. In the final three months of 2024, F-150 Lightning sales were down 10%.
The Lightning, alongside Rivian’s R1T, are no longer the only electric pickups on the market. Ford is facing new competition with the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado EV, and GMC Sierra EV, arriving.
According to Cox Automotive, the Tesla Cybertruck slipped past the Lightning to become the fifth best-selling EV in the US last year with nearly 39,000 units sold. Ford’s Lightning was sixth with just over 33,500 models sold.
Ford extended its “Power Promise” promo earlier this year to boost demand, giving EV buyers a Level 2 home charger and other benefits, but Lightning sales are still down.
The American automaker cut Lightning production at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center last year, citing slower-than-expected demand. A new report from Automotive News claims Ford is now ending a pilot program to stock and distribute EVs through regional hubs after it failed to catch on. It was designed to speed up deliveries.
Although Ford plans to launch a smaller midsize electric pickup, it won’t arrive until at least two more years. With new competition, like the Ram 1500 REV and Volkswagen Scout pickup, hitting the market over the next few years, Ford may find it even harder to attract buyers.
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Costco’s Auto Program recently introduced some new member-only incentives, and the 2025 Volvo EX90 BEV is now on its list.
Volvo is offering Costco Executive Members $2,000 off the 2025 EX90. Costco Gold Star and Business members are eligible for $1,500 off. The incentives are available on all versions of the Volvo EX90 for members who purchase or lease from February 24 to April 30, 2025. It’s the only non-GM EV that’s that’s eligible for an incentive through the EV program.
The offer is compatible with A-Plan pricing for employees, as well as Affinity Pricing for teachers and first responders. Costco members will have had to have been members as of February 23 and be the primary members on the Costco account to qualify.
However, CarsDirect gave the heads up on how buyers can get up to $10,000 off the EX90’s MSRP. As we stated, if you’re a Costco Executive Member, that’s $2,000 off. Then, add the $7,500 EV Lease Allowance and a $500 loyalty discount on leases if you currently own or lease a Volvo or have owned or leased a Volvo within the past six months.
With the destination fee included, the base EX90 MSRP starts at $81,290, so that brings it down to $71,290, a more than 12% discount, a pretty good deal.
The 2025 AWD Volvo EX90, which can seat seven passengers comfortably, has a range of up to 310 miles and is NACS-compatible. It has a 510 hp engine, 110 kWh battery capacity, and can go from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
Read more: Review: Volvo EX90 is a smooth AWD 7-seat luxury kid-hauler
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