Why 2023 Was the Year of the Electric Bike

“Think you need another car?” The Washington Post asked last year. “Consider an e-bike instead.” This advice came in the midst of an electric bike sales boom that continues into 2024.

In Germany and Belgium, e-bikes are surpassing traditional bike sales; and after years of hesitation, Americans are embracing e-bikes as individual states and cities offer incentives to buy and ride. 

2023 was “the year of the ebike,” according to Portland State University transportation researcher John MacArthur. Electric bikes “break down barriers that people worry about — around distance, about physical ability, about being too hot and sweaty when you arrive somewhere.”

Just this month Cowboy’s CEO predicted “e-bike sales will surpass car sales in Europe” by 2030. While it might take quite a bit longer for the US to follow suit, if it does, several U.S. cities could be well positioned to move to small electric vehicles and away from car traffic in the coming years. 

“I think something has shifted in the US. Not everyone wants to bike but not everyone wants to drive and it makes life better for everyone to have one less person sitting in car traffic. I use the ebike to get groceries, to get a library book, to go to work. When that pedal assist kicks in, it feels very fun and freeing.”  — transport analyst Bryn Grunwald

Electric bikes offer that feeling of freedom to everyone, not just the most physically fit. Early critics expressed concerns about ebikes ruining the health benefits of riding. A study conducted last year showed just the opposite.

Ebike riders actually get more exercise than traditional bike riders, because they ride more, and ride farther, and they aren’t held back by physical limitations that make it difficult-to-impossible to pedal up steep hills. 

Because of the clear health benefits of ebikes, their ease of use, the major savings on gas and parking, and their myriad other benefits (including that intangible fun factor), American attitudes are shifting dramatically,  and there are ebikes out there for just about anyone. 

As for safety concerns about electric bikes, New York City is leading the way in making manufacturers submit their products to the rigorous testing and monitoring process of UL Certification. 

Bikes, scooters, and batteries that have undergone UL testing pose significantly less risk of overheating, and they are far less likely than non-tested vehicles to have defects that can lead to malfunctions and accidents. 

New York now requires all electric vehicles to comply with these safety standards. Given the size of NYC’s consumer market, this new law will have an impact on all ebike manufacturers, improving quality and reliability for buyers everywhere.  

Join those who have decided to get an e-bike instead of a second (or first) car. Check out the many great ebikes we’ve reviewed at Rider Guide and get some tips on buying, riding, and maintaining an electric bike in our guides. 

Maybe, like the initially skeptical researcher Bryn Grunwald, you too will have “a life-changing experience,” the first time you climb a hill on an ebike: “I wasn’t sweaty, I wasn’t out of breath and red in the face, I was invigorated.”