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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The BYD “Shenzhen” set sail on its first voyage overseas this week. With 9,200 parking spots, or about enough to fill 20 football fields, BYD’s new car transport ship is now the world’s largest.
BYD’s largest car carrier sets sail for Brazil
BYD’s Shenzhen is on its maiden voyage to Brazil after setting sail on April 27. The vessel is carrying over 7,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), including electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It’s the largest single batch of NEVs exported from China so far.
The new vessel is BYD’s fourth car transport ship and the world’s largest, capable of carrying 9,000 vehicles. According to the company, that’s enough to fill about 20 football fields.
BYD launched its first car carrier, the Explorer No 1, in January 2024. It has already completed several trips to Germany, Spain, and Brazil.
Its second, the BYD Changzhou, set sail in December 2024, followed by the Hefei earlier this year. All three vessels can carry up to 7,000 vehicles, making the Shenzhen the largest so far.
The Shenzhen is named after the automaker’s hometown and demonstrates “BYD’s firm determination to promote sustainable development in Brazil.”
BYD is preparing to launch two more vessels, the Changsha and Xi’an. The Changsha is expected to launch soon, while the Xi’an was introduced on April 2.
The new car carriers will help accelerate BYD’s aggressive overseas expansion. In the first three months of 2025, the company sold over 206,000 NEVs overseas, more than double the number it sold last year.
BYD sells a wide range of vehicles in Brazil, including the low-cost Dolphin Mini, starting at around $20,000 (99,800 BRL). In October, it launched its first hybrid pickup truck, the Shark, starting at 379,800 BTL ($66,900).
Brazil is only one overseas market that BYD is targeting. BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe in 2025, with significant growth in other key regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea, to name a few.
Source: BYD
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‘Tesla homes’ in a Houston neighborhood where all the homes have Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls went for sale.
7 out of the 11 homes have reportedly already sold.
Tesla neighborhood is a term that is being used for new developments where all the homes integrate all or part of Tesla’s power ecosystem, including the Powerwall home battery pack.
The best example is a giant new development project in Austin, Texas, by Brookfield Asset Management and Dacra in which up to 12,000 new homes are to be built and offering Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls.
However, since the announcement, it looks like only some of the homes in the new neighborhood have Tesla energy systems.
In 2022, Tesla also announced a similar project in Las Vegas.
A year later, the company claimed to have deployed “over 600 solar neighborhoods” worldwide, with a total capacity exceeding 100 MW.
One such ‘Tesla neighborhood’ is a small block of 11 townhouse homes featuring Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls in Houston, Texas.
The homes were recently completed and went on sale, starting at $544,900.
Here are some pictures from the listings:
Utopia Homes, the developer behind the project, described the properties (via Chron):
Step into modern elegance expertly crafted by Utopia Homes. This property showcases groundbreaking Tesla Solar Roof Shingles and Power Wall technology, ensuring 100% energy security and eliminating electric bills for a truly sustainable lifestyle.
The house has proved popular according to the real estate agents, with 7 out of 11 homes already sold.
As we recently reported, Tesla’s solar roofs have proven to be a more expensive and niche product than the company previously presented.
Tesla has largely stopped discussing it, but it is still being deployed through some third-party installers, such as in this case, on new homes.
However, its Powerwall product remains a very popular solution for homeowners seeking greater energy independence and protection against outages, which have been a frequent problem in Texas.
More homeowners are turning to generators, and alternatives like home battery packs are gaining popularity.
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Canadian electric propulsion specialist Vision Marine continues to graduate beyond advanced outboard motors into a provider of all-electric boats. This month, Vision introduced two new electric pontoon boats – the 12-passenger V24 and 15-passenger V30, each capable of a range up to 90 nautical miles.
Vision Marine Technologies ($VMAR) is a Canadian technology company with over 25 years of experience in the marine industry. The company made waves (literally) by introducing its E-Motion turnkey powertrain system, which it has since integrated into a catamaran speedboat, which set a speed record of 109 mph in 2022.
Since then, Vision has introduced six hp two-cruiser vessels – the Fantail 217 and Volt 180, each capable of transporting 10 passengers via its E-Motion technology. Most recently, Vision Marine has integrated the full power of its 180 hp electric powertrain technology into two additional vessels, both electric pontoon boats.
Earlier this month, the company officially began sales of the Vision V24 and V30, which you can view below.
Vision Marine brings power and range to electric pontoons
According to Vision Marine Technologies, orders for its two new electric pontoon boats are now open, and they are touting the same E-Motion technology that put the company on the map a few years ago.
The first model is the V24, a 12-passenger electric pontoon that is 24′ 8″ in length and has 180 hp. The ultra-quiet E-Motion powertrain is powered by a standard 43 kWh marine battery pack, offering 40 nautical miles (46 miles) of all-electric range on a single charge. For added range, Vision sells a version of the electric pontoon with a second battery pack, totaling 86 kWh and delivering up to 90 nautical miles (104 miles) of range.
While the V24 offers more of a classic attempt at the pontoon boat, Vision’s additional new vessel, the all-electric V30, is a tad sportier and provides room for more passengers aboard (15). This 30′ vessel features the same E-Motion powertrain options, complete with the same two battery configurations to offer the same ranges as the V24.
However, the V30 has additional features such as 4 x 6.5″ interior speakers and cool-touch seats. Both models feature an integrated onboard charger that supports both 120- 240V (30 to 50 amps) for seamless charging, no matter the dock plug while moored.
The Vision V24 starts at $99,995 for the standard battery pack version, while the V30 starts at a higher price of $139,995. As previously mentioned, both electric pontoon boats are available to order today.
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