Footloose, for e-bikes? The US town that banned all electric bicycles
As electric bicycles skyrocket in popularity and adoption rates soar, nearly everywhere in the US is seeing a higher number of e-bikes used for transportation. That is, except for one town that banned e-bikes and e-scooters devices altogether.
The Village of Key Biscayne, an island community in south Florida, has permanently implemented an emergency ban on electric bikes and e-scooters that was first implemented several months ago.
Key Biscayne is known as a hub of car alternatives, most popularly golf carts, which cruise the streets just as commonly as larger vehicles. Electric bikes have also become a popular form of transportation on the island, at least until they were banned this year after a local tragedy.
The original emergency ban was rushed into place back in February, just two days after the death of admired local tutor Megan Andrews, 66.
Andrews was riding a pedal bicycle at night when she was involved in a fatal collision with an electric bike rider. The twelve-year-old e-bike rider also involved in the collision was on his way to soccer practice and claimed not to see Andrews, who police said was riding a bike without lights and not wearing a helmet. The medical examiner ruled the collision accidental.
The town quickly enacted a temporary ban against all electric bicycles and motorized scooters, which was ultimately amended into a permanent ban on these micromobility vehicles.
Many community members laud the new ban after long bemoaning the high number of young riders traveling the roads and sidewalks on high-speed electric bicycles.
Some locals had already petitioned the city for months, encouraging stronger regulations to rein in such behavior.
On the other hand, many other residents lamented the new ban, which has stifled local use of the country’s fastest-growing form of alternative transportation.
According to the Key Biscayne Independent, local mayoral candidate Charles Collins would like to see micromobility vehicles viewed as a solution for the island instead of as an issue. Collins believes that e-bikes can help reduce traffic and improve transportation, explaining that every trip a child takes on an e-bike saves a parent’s round trip in a car.
Electrek’s Take
I don’t mean to make light of a tragedy, but this entire scenario is eerily similar to Footloose. A fatal road accident in a small community results in longer-serving elders enacting a knee-jerk reaction to ban a perceived threat popular among younger members of the community instead of addressing the root of the issue. It’s textbook. Replace dancing and popular music with e-bikes and e-scooters, and it doesn’t take six degrees of separation to get there.
And as we learned at the end of the movie Footloose, (spoiler alert) the central lesson is about the importance of balance between tradition and change. The story culminates in the realization that while traditions and rules are important for maintaining order and values within a community, they should not stifle the freedom and growth of the younger generation. The story ultimately conveys that open-mindedness, understanding, and compromise can lead to a harmonious and vibrant community where different generations can coexist and thrive.
Look, every cycling death is tragic and no one disputes this. But I’m not sure that banning electric bikes and e-scooters is the answer. In fact, if we want a quick and simple solution to cycling deaths, it would make more sense to ban cars, since more cyclists are killed by car drivers than e-bike riders.
But the better answer is a compromise built around education and enforcement. When cars became popular a century ago, they were quite dangerous. Drivers drove them dangerously and many people suffered for it. So traffic enforcement increased along with driver’s education. That’s the answer here. The helpful new technology of e-bikes shouldn’t be banned, it should be regulated in order to benefit from its incredible value.
There are instructional classes for e-bike riders who haven’t received a driver’s license. Age limits can be created to keep obviously too-young kids off of e-bikes. Helmets and lighting can be required to help save lives. Just a single one of those policies likely would have changed the outcome of the accident that led to the Key Biscayne e-bike ban.
I know drivers often complain about e-bike riders breaking traffic laws, riding through red lights, etc. We already have a solution for this: traffic police. It’s just as illegal to blow through a red light on a bicycle as it is to do it in an SUV. It’s the same traffic ticket, and it’s an expensive traffic ticket. That ticket, or just the fear of one, makes those brake levers seem like a much better idea. Where I live, sidewalk-riding can get you a hefty fine, and once enough people knew someone who got slammed with that ticket, sidewalk-riding rates plummeted.
So let’s all agree that outright bans aren’t the right answer to a tool that is otherwise so useful and beneficial. Because if we get all ban-happy, there are a lot bigger fish to fry before e-bikes.
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The global shift to electric vehicles (EVs) is accelerating, but McKinsey’s latest report warns of significant strain on the supply chain for critical battery materials by 2030.
EV sales are expected to jump from 4.5 million units in 2023 to 28 million annually by the end of the decade. This unprecedented demand will put pressure on the availability of essential materials like lithium, high-purity manganese, and graphite.
While lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries reduce reliance on scarcer materials like cobalt and nickel, they still depend heavily on lithium, manganese, and graphite. The shift to LFP batteries offers some relief but does not eliminate the imbalances in the supply chain, highlighting the need for continued focus on securing sustainable sources.
Adding to the challenge, upstream raw material mining and refining these materials account for about 40% of an EV battery’s total emissions. McKinsey’s report emphasizes that reducing emissions in these processes is critical.
“Sourcing materials from supplies committed to low-emission fuels and power sources could cut emissions by as much as 80% in mining and refining phases. This needs to be paired with a strong focus on cost reduction given the current profitability pressure in the battery industry,” said Raphael Rettig, partner at McKinsey.
Smaller but essential materials, such as high-purity manganese, also face growing challenges. Currently, manganese contributes around 4% of emissions in a typical lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt (LI-NMC) battery. However, as LFP batteries gain popularity and larger materials like lithium and nickel are decarbonized, manganese’s relative emissions intensity could nearly double without targeted strategies to address the imbalance.
Toyota’s recent $4.5 million grant from the US Department of Energy to develop more sustainable EV batteries is a step toward addressing these challenges. However, it’s clear that solving the broader supply chain issues will require a collective effort from the entire industry to balance demand with sustainable practices and minimize emissions. The path forward will define the EV industry’s ability to meet climate goals while scaling up production.
Read more: Toyota gets $4.5M DOE grant to boost EV battery sustainability
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Hyundai’s new IONIQ 9 electric SUV already looks like it’s from the future, but the flagship Calligraphy trim stands apart from the other options. The top-tier model gains added tech, features, and sleek trim-exclusive design elements. A new all-black model was spotted in California, giving us a better look at the top-tier trim on the road.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 Calligraphy spotted in all-black
The IONIQ 9 is Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, a “living room on wheels,” if you will. Last month, Hyundai unveiled the larger electric SUV at the LA Auto Show.
Featuring Hyundai’s new “Aerosthetic” design, you can miss the IONIQ 9’s futuristic style. The streamlined roof and flush exterior design provide a spacious, “lounge-like” interior. It even includes added elements like Parametric Pixels integrated into the front LED lights and bumper.
The IONIQ 9 will be available in S, SE, SEL, Limited, and a flagship Calligraphy trim options. Hyundai confirmed the top-tier model will have an exclusive Calligraphy Design package with 21″ wheels.
Other trim-specific features added to the Calligraphy model include a microfiber suede roof trim, a premium cargo sill plate, a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 10″ Head-Up Display (HUD), and a full-display mirror FDM with HomeLink.
Although Hyundai has shown the flagship SUV off in public, a new video from KindelAuto shows a preproduction IONIQ 9 Calligraphy in all-black testing in the US.
Earlier this month, an IONIQ 9 model was spotted testing in public ahead of deliveries. We also saw what appears to be an XRT trim with off-road upgrades caught in Korea last week.
At 199.2″ long, 78″ wide, and 70.5″ tall, the Hyundai IONIQ 9 is slightly smaller than the Rivian R1S (201″ long, 82″ wide, 77″ tall). It’s roughly the size of Kia’s EV9.
Hyundai’s electric SUV, which is powered by a 110.3 kWh battery pack, has an EPA-estimated range of 335 miles, or 620 km, on the WLTP cycle.
Hyundai’s three-row electric SUV will be available in the US and Korea in the first half of 2025. Following that, it will roll out to global markets like Europe. It will be built alongside the updated 2025 IONIQ 5 at Hyundai’s new manufacturing plant in Georgia. Prices will be revealed closer to launch.
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla self-driving computer failure, Cybertruck issues, Honda/Nissan merger, 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 Tesla’s issues self-driving computer failure, Cybertruck is also having some problem, Honda/Nissan merger, 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:
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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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