Why more American teenagers are rejecting driver’s licenses in favor of e-bikes
There’s a good chance that when you were a teenager, getting your driver’s license was seen as a rite of passage, and you probably couldn’t wait for the freedom promised by that shiny new card in your credit card-less wallet. At least, that’s unless you’re a teenager today, and then the picture might not be so cut and dry. Unlike when I got my learner’s permit 20 years ago, today’s teenagers have already been enjoying a new form of affordable and effective transportation freedom: electric bikes.
And it’s changing the way they view getting a driver’s license.
Electric bicycles have been gaining popularity in the US for over a decade, but they’ve taken off in impressive numbers over the last several years.
Once considered an alternative for older riders looking to get back on two wheels, electric bikes have now gained favor with just about every age group. There are balance e-bikes for toddlers, children’s models, e-bikes popular with teenagers, models for the general public, and models/companies that cater to older riders.
With more teenagers flocking to e-bikes than ever before, the “freedom” that traditionally came at 16 years old with a driver’s license is now available to teens even earlier. And while that also comes with some real concern from some parents, plenty of other parents have embraced the freedom and independence that electric bikes have offered to their teenagers.
As Olivia Rockeman pointed out recently in the Wall Street Journal, “Many parents see e-bikes as alternatives to shepherding their kids between school and sports practices, particularly as the number of teens with driver’s licenses has fallen by about 8% over the past two decades, according to the latest data from the Federal Highway Administration. The e-bikes also grant more independence to teens not yet old enough to drive.”
Encinitas, California resident Aaron Hebshi, whose 17-year-old daughter put off getting her driver’s license in favor of her electric bicycle, explained to Rockeman that his teen isn’t in a rush to get behind the wheel. “There wasn’t quite the imperative for her to get a license that kids may have felt when I was growing up. Before we were 16, we couldn’t go anywhere without our parents in San Diego.”
Mother of two teen boys in Hermosa Beach, Erika Mamber, shared that e-bikes for her kids have saved her countless car trips to school, sports practice, and tutoring sessions.
Those views are gaining steam among a wider group of teenagers and their parents, who have discovered that e-bikes are giving those kids more freedom, and by extension, giving more freedom to parents.
What’s driving teens away from cars and onto e-bikes?
This shift from getting a “first car” to getting a “first e-bike” is driven by many factors. Still, some of the largest motivations include a mix of economic, practical factors, and environmental concerns that are reshaping the landscape of personal transportation for the younger generation.
The economic advantage
For many teens and their families, the cost of car ownership is a significant deterrent. From the price of the vehicle itself to insurance, fuel, and maintenance, the expenses can quickly add up.
E-bikes, on the other hand, offer a more affordable alternative. The initial purchase price is considerably lower, and operational costs are almost zero, outside of occasional new brake pads and tires. With the rising cost of living, many families find e-bikes to be a financially savvy choice.
For under $1,000, American teenagers can find a good e-bike. I made that much mowing lawns one summer as a teenager and that was twenty years ago. For $3,000, teens can find a great e-bike with even higher quality and longevity. Compare that to the price of new or even used cars. Just the summer-long maintenance and fuel on a car can cost as much as an entire electric bike.
Independence and convenience
E-bikes also provide a level of independence that many teens crave. Unlike cars, which require a driver’s license and often parental supervision during the long learning period, e-bikes are accessible immediately. Teens can start riding as soon as they have a bike and (hopefully) the necessary safety gear.
They also don’t need to spend hours in a driver’s education course learning the nuances of car control. Most kids grow up learning to ride a bicycle and so the handling skills are already there.
Still, driver’s education courses designed for cyclists are highly encouraged for teens who eschew cars in favor of e-bikes. The rules of the road apply equally to cyclists and car drivers, and not learning the rules is not an excuse for breaking them.
Safety considerations
While e-bikes offer many advantages, safety is a key concern for parents and teens alike. Many cities are adapting to the increase in e-bike usage by expanding bike lanes and implementing stricter regulations to ensure rider safety.
Helmets, proper lighting, and adherence to traffic rules are essential components of safe e-bike riding and are highly recommended for teenagers who regularly travel by e-bike.
At the same time, many teens have accepted the growing notion that a 6,000 lb vehicle might not be the safest option when considering all road users. Whereas many adults have their eyes on the largest trucks and SUVs, many teenagers value smaller and lighter vehicles, especially options that can get them out of the road and into the bike lane.
The concept isn’t exactly pervasive, and America’s addiction to massive vehicles is unlikely to break anytime soon, but a growing number of younger Americans aren’t buying the same promises that the automotive industry is selling their parents.
Environmental consciousness
Much more so than a generation ago, today’s teenagers are increasingly environmentally conscious. The impact of climate change and the importance of sustainable living are at the forefront of many teenagers’ minds.
E-bikes, with their zero emissions, offer an eco-friendly alternative to cars. Many teens feel that choosing an e-bike over a car is a tangible way to contribute to a greener planet.
More than just an expanding trend
The trend of teenagers choosing e-bikes over cars is growing. As more teens delay or forego getting their driver’s licenses, the shift is proving to be not just a passing fad but rather a reflection of changing attitudes toward transportation and lifestyle.
Cities continue to evolve and adapt to new modes of transportation, and the role of e-bikes is likely to expand. For now, the sight of teens zipping around town on their electric bikes is becoming increasingly common, signaling a new era in personal mobility.
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The Goodwood Festival of Speed happened this weekend, and Ford’s electric SuperTruck managed to beat every other vehicle, gas or electric, to the top of the hill.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a yearly event on the grounds of Goodwood House, a historic estate in West Sussex, England. The event started in 1993, and has become one of the largest motorsports festivals in the world.
Many companies attend Goodwood to debut new models, and enthusiasts or race teams will show off rare or customized vehicles or race unique cars.
One of the central features of the event is the Goodwood hillclimb, a short one-way race up a small hill on the property. The track is only 1.17mi/1.89km long, with a 304ft/92.7m uphill climb. It’s not a particularly taxing event – merely a fun way to show off some classic or unique racing vehicles.
As is often the case, companies brought out several interesting EVs to the event, including Honda’s Super EV concept, the recently-unveiled Hyundai Ioniq 6N, and the upcoming Porsche Cayenne EV, still in camouflage after recently setting an SUV record at another UK hillclimb.
Many of these cars came just to show off, to do a demonstration run up the hill and join the company of the world’s most exotic hypercars.
But some cars show up for the glory, and join “the shootout,” the sprint up the hill for the best time.
And Ford didn’t come to show off, it came to win. And in order to win, it brought…. a truck.
Ford’s SuperTruck is a one-off, 1,400+ horsepower prototype electric vehicle, supposedly based on the F-150 Lightning, but in fact bearing almost no similarity or even resemblance.
It’s been festooned with aerodynamic elements all about, lowered, equipped with race tires, and power output has been boosted to the aforementioned 1,400hp. It was driven by Romain Dumas, who Ford have been using since 2022 to drive their electric prototypes.
For the purposes of a hillclimb, perhaps the most important aspect is the Ford’s electric drive. Hillclimbs are a popular form of racing in Britain, and often consist of a short sprint up a small hill, showcasing acceleration and nimbleness more than anything.
Electric cars do well in this sort of racing due to their instant low-end torque, being able to jump off the line faster than the gas competition. They also tend to have plenty of torque, which helps with carrying them up the hills involved.
EVs do well on longer hillclimbs too, because as races reach higher and higher altitudes, gas cars suffer from reduced power due to less oxygen being available for combustion. EVs don’t suffer from this, so they tend to do well at, say, Pike’s Peak hillclimb – which, incidentally, Ford also brought its SuperTruck to, and also beat everybody at.
This year was not the first time Ford has brought a ridiculous electric chonker to Goodwood. Last year, it brought the SuperVan, which has a similar powertrain to the SuperTruck, and also beat everybody.
The SuperVan’s main competition last year was Subaru’s 670hp “Project Midnight” WRX, piloted by Scott Speed, who Dumas handily defeated by over two seconds, 43.98 to 46.07. And this year, the SuperTruck’s main competition was… the same Subaru, piloted by Speed, who Dumas handily defeated by just under two seconds, 43.23 to 45.03.
Ford did not, however, set an all-time record with the SuperTruck, in fact coming in fifth on the list of fastest runs ever. In front of it are two gas cars and two electric – the gas-powered Gould GR51, a tiny open-wheel race car, with a 42.90; an F1 car driven by Nick Heidfeld that set a 41.6 in 1999; the electric VW ID.R, also piloted by Dumas with a 39.90 (which broke Heidfeld’s 20-year record); and the all-time record holder the electric McMurtry Spierling “fan car,” with a mind-blowing 39.08 in 2019.
You’ll notice something similar about all of these – they’re all small racecars that are actually built for speed, whereas the truck is… a big truck. And yet, Ford still managed to beat every single challenger this year, with its big honker of an EV, because EVs are just better.
Watch the run in full below, starting at 9:34. Blink and you’ll miss it.
And now, if Ford continues its pattern, we’re looking forward to seeing the Super Mustang Mach-E at Goodwood next year, which did well this year at a tough Pike’s Peak, getting first in its class and second overall, likely due to inclement conditions that limited running to the lower portion of the course, limiting the EV’s high-altitude advantages.
Given the Super Mustang is a real racecar, and not a chonky truck, it might even give VW’s ID.R time a run for its money (but, frankly, really has no shot at the overall record, because the Spierling’s “fans” give it an absurdly unbeatable amount of downforce).
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Environment
GM gears up to build low-cost LFP EV batteries in Tennessee after announcing new upgrades
GM is preparing to begin converting production lines at its battery plant in Tennessee later this year for low-cost LFP EV batteries. GM’s joint venture, Ultium Cells, announced additional upgrades at the facility on Monday as it prepares for a new era.
GM will build low-cost LFP EV batteries in the US
After beating out Ford and Hyundai last year to become America’s second-best EV seller, GM is widening its lead in 2025.
Ultium Cells, GM’s joint venture with LG Energy Solution, announced plans to upgrade its Tennessee battery plant on Monday as it prepares to introduce lower-cost lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cells.
The upgrades build on the $2.3 billion investment announced in April 2021 to convert the facility into a key EV and battery hub. The company initially said the Tennessee plant was “at the heart of GM’s EV strategy,” but that was also when GM was still committed to an all-electric future.
GM will begin converting production lines to accommodate the lower-cost LFP batteries at the facility later this year. By late 2027, the company expects to start commercial production.
With LFP batteries, GM said it’s “targeting significant battery pack cost savings compared to today’s high-nickel battery pack while increasing consumer EV choice.”
The Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant currently employs around 1,300 employees. With the ability to produce multiple chemistries, GM said the facility will “guide the next phase of” its battery strategy.
After choosing Spring Hill for its LFP batteries, the next step, according to GM, is finding a home for lithium manganese-rich batteries. GM recently announced plans to become the first company to produce LMR prismatic battery cells at commercial scale.
Meanwhile, GM’s Warren, Ohio, plant will continue producing NCM batteries, which it says have helped it unlock over 300 miles of range.
Electrek’s Take
GM’s electric vehicle sales more than doubled in the second quarter, led by the hot-selling Chevy Equinox EV. The company sold nearly 46,300 EVs in Q2, up 11% from last year.
Chevy is currently the fastest-growing EV brand in the US, while Cadillac claims to have already achieved “EV leader” status in the luxury segment this year. However, that does not include Tesla.
Even GMC is building momentum with the new Sierra EV, seeing strong initial demand, and Hummer EV sales are picking up.
With new, lower-cost batteries on the way, GM aims to continue narrowing the gap with Tesla. GM offers 13 electric vehicles, covering nearly every segment of the market. It already calls the Chevy Equinox EV “America’s most affordable +315 range EV,” but GM has even lower-priced models on the way, including the next-gen Chevy Bolt EV.
Ready to test drive one for yourself? You can use our links below to find Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC EVs in your area.
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Environment
Elon Musk says Tesla is going to have ‘the most epic demo ever’, but we heard that before
Elon Musk is teasing Tesla doing “the most epic demo ever”, but we heard him claim that before and nothing came of it.
On X last night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that he was shown something at the Tesla Design Studio and that the company will hold the ” most epic demo ever by the end of the year”:
Just left the Tesla Design Studio. Most epic demo ever by the end of the year. Ever.
I used to get excited about Musk making statements like that, but I was burned one too many times.
In 2016, Musk said this:
Our goal is, and I feel pretty good about this goal, that we’ll be able to do a demonstration drive of full autonomy all the way from LA to New York … by the end of next year.
The end of 2017 came and went without this demonstration and now in 2025, Tesla can’t do it either.
However, since Musk referenced being at Tesla’s Design Studio, where it mostly works on car designs and advanced features, people are speculating that it’s something else.
A possibility is the next-gen Tesla Roadster, as Musk has made similar comments about it in the past, but they were again about demonstrations that never happened.
Shortly after the unveiling of the next-gen Roadster in 2017, Musk talked about adding cold air thruster to the supercar to allow it to have unprecedented racing performance and even possibly hover over the ground.
In 2019, Musk told me that Tesla aimed to do a demonstration of that by the end of 2020:
5 years later, it never happened, and the Roadster was initially supposed to come to market in 2020. It has never launched.
In 2024, Musk claimed that Tesla would unveil and demo the new Roadster by the end of the year:
It also didn’t happen, and the CEO instead said that Tesla was “close to finalizing design” at the end of 2025.
Electrek’s Take
The comment about the demo makes me think of the Roadster, but it could be something else. Maybe a bot, but I’m not sure out of the design studio.
Either way, for the reasons listed above, it’s hard to get too excited.
You can’t just believe what Musk says these days. Historically, he has been wrong or lied too often, especially about upcoming demonstrations like this new comment.
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