There’s one simple answer to just about everyone’s worries about electric bicycles
Electric bicycles continue to surge in popularity across the United States, bringing with them a host of benefits but also, inevitably, a few concerns. Despite e-bikes racking up points from new commuters across the country for being lower-cost car alternatives that turn commutes and errand running into joyrides, these powerful new transportation tools aren’t without their detractors, too.
Concerns among some members of the public have ranged from safety issues of sharing roads with cars to the risk of battery fires. However, there exists a straightforward solution that could alleviate nearly any worry anyone has about electric bikes: investing in better cycling infrastructure.
There’s a simple solution for e-bikes
It’s really quite easy. If you can find a supposed “problem” with electric bikes, I can all but guarantee that the solution is to invest in better cycling infrastructure.
Let’s try it out. Critics and potential users alike have voiced apprehensions around the danger of navigating alongside faster, heavier vehicles like cars and trucks. It’s a legitimate concern, as riders don’t want to get pancaked by a SUV any more than those drivers want to kill a cyclist.
So what’s the answer? Better cycling infrastructure in the form of separated bicycle lanes!
The fear of sharing the road with cars is valid; automobiles and bicycles are mismatched in terms of size, speed, and protection. Implementing dedicated, protected bike lanes ensures a safe space for e-bike riders, free from the risks posed by close proximity to motor vehicles.
Cities around the world with high cycling rates have proven that comprehensive networks of bike lanes can significantly reduce accidents and improve safety for all road users.
It also serves car drivers by getting cyclists out of their way and ultimately reducing car traffic by encouraging more people to switch to an e-bike for local trips.
What about the issue that many finger-waggers have with teenagers riding e-bikes? “Those darn youths are all over the road…” is a common refrain these days.
Here’s a solution: better cycling infrastructure. If there were more bike lanes around, you wouldn’t have to worry about teenagers riding their e-bikes near your car because they’d have their own convenient, safe, and separated bike lanes to ride in. It works for other countries, why not yours?
The same goes for pedestrian safety. Many pedestrians fear e-bike riders blowing down the sidewalk and knocking them over. It’s a legitimate concern and a prime example of why e-bikes shouldn’t be ridden on crowded sidewalks.
But when cyclists have to choose between sidewalks or the narrow shoulder of a fast urban highway, it’s no surprise they choose the relative safety of sidewalks. If cities invested in better cycling infrastructure, I suspect the third option of a nice and safe bike lane would be the winning option.
What about the fear many riders have of getting their bike stolen? Or of battery fires during charging (a rare but not unheard of occurrence)? Again, better cycling infrastructure to the rescue!
The deployment of secure locking and charging stations can address both issues simultaneously. By providing designated areas for e-bikes that are equipped with safe charging infrastructure, cities can minimize the risk of theft and mitigate fire hazards. These stations would not only offer a secure place to charge and store e-bikes but also encourage their use by alleviating concerns over battery safety and longevity.
Safe, secure bike parking is all over the Netherlands. E-bike charging stations are all over China. Humanity has figured out these solutions, we just need to implement them here at home.
The Broader Benefits
Investing in better cycling infrastructure doesn’t just solve the immediate concerns of e-bike users, it has far-reaching benefits for the community at large. Improved bike lanes and secure charging stations can lead to increased e-bike adoption, reducing traffic congestion, lowering emissions, and contributing to a healthier, more active population.
Enhancing cycling infrastructure signals a commitment to sustainable transportation options and inclusivity, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age, ability, or economic status, has access to safe and reliable mobility solutions.
The rapid rise of electric bicycles is a blessing for urban transportation but also raises the pressing need for cities across the U.S. to adapt and embrace cycling infrastructure.
While concerns about safety and battery management are valid, they can be effectively addressed through thoughtful urban planning and investment in infrastructure tailored to e-bike use.
By prioritizing separated bike lanes and secure locking and charging stations, we can unlock the full potential of e-bikes as a cornerstone of urban mobility, making our cities safer, cleaner, and more accessible for everyone.
The answer of “build better biking infrastructure” is easy to say but harder to implement. It requires all of us to recognize the benefits and push our cities to act. It’s not just about cyclists, but rather about improving cities for all of us. When cyclists have safer areas to ride and store their bikes, everyone benefits.
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Ford’s electric pickup truck is back at the top. The F-150 Lightning is once again the best-selling electric pickup in the US after overtaking the Tesla Cybertruck in the first quarter.
Ford’s F-150 Lightning is the best-selling electric pickup
After launching in 2023, Tesla’s Cybertruck quickly outpaced the Lightning to become America’s top-selling EV pickup last year.
Since Tesla doesn’t break down regional sales, registration data gives us our best estimate. The latest registration data from S&P Global Mobility (via Automotive News) shows that the F-150 Lightning retook the title in March and the first quarter of 2025.
Ford’s electric pickup notched 2,598 registrations in March, topping the Tesla Cybertruck with 2,170. In the first quarter, the F-150 Lightning remained ahead with 7,913 registrations, compared to the Cybertruck’s 7,126.
Although the Cybertruck was the fifth top-selling EV in the US last year, it didn’t even crack the top ten in March. It placed ninth through the first three months of 2025, behind the Volkswagen ID.4.
While Tesla and Ford remained the leaders in the electric pickup market, several new models are gaining momentum. According to the most recent numbers from Cox Automotive, GM sold 2,383 Chevy Silverado EVs and 1,249 GMC Sierra EV models in Q1. Meanwhile, Rivian sold 1,727 R1Ts during the quarter.
Earlier today, Electrek reported that new models, including the Honda Prologue and Chevy Blazer EV, helped drive EV registrations up 20% in the US in March.
Although the Lightning reclaimed the crown from Tesla, Ford’s electric pickup isn’t exactly flying off the lot. Ford reported Lightning sales fell 16% to just 1,740 units in April. Through April 2025, Ford has sold 8,927 electric trucks, down 9% from the 9,833 it handed over last year.
Electrek’s Take
To be fair, Tesla is still ahead by a wide margin in the US. The S&P numbers show Tesla had over 51,000 registrations in March, up 1% after two months of lower YOY growth.
GM’s Chevy surpassed Ford to become the second-best-selling EV brand with nearly 8,500 registrations, an increase of 274% from last year. Ford dropped to third with 7,361 registrations.
Although it’s just one quarter, it’s starting to show how Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s political antics are likely impacting sales. After the Cybertruck’s initial hype, it appears many buyers are opting for traditional pickups, like the F-150 Lighting.
Meanwhile, Ram is delaying its first electric pickup, the 1500 REV, again. Ram is pushing production back until summer 2027, saying it’s “extending the quality validation period.” The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Ramcharger will also be delayed until the first quarter of 2026.
After pulling the Ramcharger ahead of the fully electric version last year, Stellantis blamed weak demand for EV pickups in the US.
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Environment
Podcast: EV tax credit on chopping block, Tesla’s China problem, Slate gets interest, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss how the GOP plans to kill the EV tax credit, Tesla’s China problem, Slate getting some interest, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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Tesla’s Austin robotaxi fleet will be powered by ‘plenty of teleoperation’ as it “can’t screw up”, according to a new report from Morgan Stanley after meeting with Tesla.
You won’t hear anything negative about Tesla from Morgan Stanley very often.
Morgan Stanley’s Tesla analyst, Adam Jonas, has often been described as a ‘Tesla cheerleader’ on Wall Street for his extremely rosy view of the company. He generally believes whatever Elon Musk claims and adds a slight delay to the CEO’s timeline.
Recently, Jonas met with Tesla with some clients and released a new note that he hinted to be based on what he learned from Tesla during the meeting.
He claims that the planned “robotaxi” rollout in Austin next month is going to use “plenty of tele ops to ensure safety levels”:
Austin’s a ‘go’ but fleet size will be low. Think 10 to 20 cars. Public roads. Invite only. Plenty of tele ops to ensure safety levels (“we can’t screw up”). Still waiting for a date.
‘Tele ops’ stands for teleoperations, meaning that Tesla employees will be able to remotely access Tesla’s vehicles and operate them in some capacity.
Last year, Electrek reported that Tesla started hiring for this teleoperation team before the Robotaxi launch in Austin.
We have been extensively reporting on how much Tesla’s planned robotaxi fleet in Austin diverges from its previously disclosed plans of deploying “unsupervised Full Self-Driving” in its consumer vehicles.
Tesla plans to deploy “10-20” Model Y vehicles to offer ride-hailling services in a geo-fenced area of Austin, Texas using a version of its ‘Supervised Full Self-Driving’ (FSD), but instead of being supervised by a driver inside the vehicle, like the current product in consumer vehicles, Tesla is going to used employees to remotely supervise the vehicles.
The service is supposed to launch in June.
Electrek’s Take
I seriously don’t get why anyone could get excited about this. It is going to be a bit better than the current FSD, which has stalled for months as Tesla focuses on optimizing the system for Austin, but it will still basically be supervised – just remotely.
There’s a chance that it won’t even be remote as some believe Tesla will even fumble that timeline and use safety drivers, but I don’t know. I’m about 50/50 on that prediction right now.
Remote supervisors make more sense as Tesla can claim a little victory even though it would be less impressive than what Waymo has been doing for years.
The real goal that Tesla sold to consumers is that their privately owned vehicles would become self-driving without supervision and we are still so far from that. It’s clear that this project is mainly to distract them from that fact.
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