e-Bikes + China = Hope

The Editors, eBikesDaily.com

Hebei Province, China  -  May 29, 2008  23:00 CST

In his engaging article of May 12 in EV World, engineer, bicycle enthusiast, electric vehicle expert, and author Forbes Bagatelle-Black examines the motivations behind the e-bike revolution in China, where I reside as a Western employee of a Chinese company.

Bagatelle-Black concludes that "simple economics have dictated China's transformation into an EV culture" -- that is, the primary reason for the rise of electric personal transport in China is the low price of e-bikes, rather than the environmental ideals of e-bike owners.

This conclusion evokes, for Bagatelle-Black, the common concern that as soon as Chinese have more money, they will purchase vehicles powered by internal-combustion engines. 

Is this fear justified?  Is it a foregone conclusion?

I believe that Chinese may very well continue to choose e-bikes even when they can afford a gas-powered vehicle.

There are two reasons to be hopeful, even to believe quite sensibly, in a bright future for electric transport in China.

First, Chinese find real value in e-bikes beyond their low prices.

Second, Chinese who Westerners think can afford automobiles don't want them.

Let's look at each of these reasons.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

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