Starting your working day energised and full of life is excellent for your mood and productivity. This is one of the many benefits of commuting on an electric bike vs in a car. You can get a workout early in your day and actually enjoy your commute. Sometimes commuting on an electric bike isn’t possible, so you will have to take the car. Although driving to work is more comfortable, it can be pretty stressful and not as enjoyable.

In this post, we are going to investigate the differences involved with commuting. We will pitch riding an electric bike against driving a car to the office.

Timing

When commuting, you want to get to and from work as fast as possible. A car can obviously go much faster than an electric bike. Even though cars are more powerful than electric bikes and can often take a more direct route, they are restricted by speed limits and traffic.

The assisted speed of electric bikes is limited depending on their class, but most are restricted to 25mph. Electric bikes do have the advantage of being able to leave the roads and take a more creative route. They can skip past road works and traffic and take off-road shortcuts to speed up their journey.

Sometimes you cannot take shortcuts on your commute on an electric bike, as the geography of the land won’t allow it. Therefore, some commuters will ride the same route as they would drive to work. But, when you look at the average speed of a car in a city centre, an electric bike is much faster.

A car driving through London averages 16.5 mph. But when it gets into the city centre, the average speed drops to just 7.4mph. An electric bike can avoid all the traffic and maintain its top speed for most of the journey. You get a constant speed and flow on an electric bike, but in a car, you are stopping and starting all the time.

When you commute on an electric bike, the timing will be pretty much the same every day. The main things that will slow you down are mechanical issues, punctures and lousy weather. But the time it takes to drive a car to work can vary dramatically. It only takes an accident or some new roadworks to extend your journey time.

Convenience

If you choose to ride an electric bike to work, you may notice that it is very convenient, depending on your circumstances. Alternatively, you may discover a couple of drawbacks.

A significant advantage of commuting on an electric bike is that you probably won’t struggle with parking. You don’t need to find a parking space or buy a ticket for your day’s parking. You will be able to lock your bike outside your workplace and go in. If you buy a folding electric bike like the Fiido M1 Pro, you may be able to take it into work with you. 

However, if you need to carry lots of stuff with you, to and from work, an electric bike may be limiting for you. Bikes like the Fiido L3 are powerful and have a cargo rack, which is great for carrying stuff, but it all depends on what you need to take with you.

Refuelling Vs Recharging

Fuelling a car is much more inconvenient than recharging your electric bike. You can guarantee that you will need to refuel your car when you are in a rush. The assisted range of an electric bike isn’t on par with a car yet, but charging the battery is very convenient. You can charge your battery overnight at home, so it is ready for your commute. You can also plug it into a spare charger at work, so you have plenty of juice for your return journey.

Safety

Riding an electric bike around a busy city can be pretty intimidating. But driving a car isolates you from many dangers. However, cities are becoming much more cyclist-friendly, thanks to cycle lanes and paths. You can also manage the risk of urban riding with our top tips for riding an electric bike safely.

Costs

Some people may wince at the price of some electric bikes on the market. But it is fair to say that you can buy an electric bike for much less than it cost to buy a car. In addition to this, after your initial purchase, an electric bike is much cheaper to run. Of course, electric bikes need maintenance, but the costs are much lower than those associated with cars.

It costs about 6p to charge an electric bike’s battery. A commute in a car can cost £5 in fuel and £15 to park for the day. This doesn’t take into account the wear and tear of the car, insurance, tax and maintenance costs.

Fun Factor

Driving to work can be fun, especially if you have open roads and a fancy car. But, an unobstructed drive is very rare for most of us. If you are an avid cyclist or mountain biker, commuting on an electric bike will give you much more bike time.

You can often enjoy interesting routes, see more of the world and get some fresh air. If you are not in a rush to get home, you can take the long way back, finding forest trails, river paths and fun terrain to ride.

Commuting on an electric bike is good exercise. Any type of exercise releases endorphins into your bloodstream, making you feel good. This is not something you get when sat in traffic. Therefore, commuting on an electric bike is a great stress reliever.

Tips For Commuting On An Electric Bike

Don’t Forget To Charge Your Battery

Charging your electric bike’s battery may sound like a simple task, and it is. However, it can be easy to put your bike away at the end of a ride with the intention of charging the battery later. But, this is a bad habit to get into, as you can easily forget to plug your battery into the charger.

If you commute with an electric bike, you need to charge your battery every night. It is a good idea to top it up at work, too, so you can be sure to not run out of charge. Pedalling a dead electric bike is challenging work.

Be Prepared

If you ride to work with a bag for everything you need for the day, make sure you get it ready the night before. This way, you can get going in the morning safe in the knowledge you have everything ready. It can mean the difference between having your morning coffee and going without. Also, if you are prepared, you may be able to take a more fun route to work.

Stay Safe

Depending on how far your commute is, you can choose full lycra or something more casual to wear. But, during the winter, when the mornings and evenings are darker, wear something that will make you visible to other road users.

Wearing a helmet is of paramount importance. But make sure you buy a good one and not a cheap one from a supermarket. You need good protection and coverage to keep you safe as possible in an accident.

Some electric bikes come with lights. However, if yours doesn’t, invest in a good set of lights for both the front and rear of your bike. LED lights are the brightest and will allow you to see where you are going and make you visible in the dark.

Respect The Rules Of The Road

Whenever you approach a junction or traffic lights etc., make sure you stop. We want cyclists to have a good name, and if we all start flaunting the rules of the road, we will get a bad reputation. But, the rules are there to keep everyone safe. You don’t want to get into an accident because you did something you shouldn’t have done.

Get Some Saddlebags

Riding with a big heavy backpack can make commuting on an electric bike offputting. But, there are some options for carrying stuff on your electric bike. As we mentioned earlier, some bikes have cargo racks, but you can often fit saddlebags and paniers to most electric bikes.

The benefit of loading your bike up rather than your body is that your centre of gravity is lower, so your bike will handle better. Also, you will avoid back pain.

Secure Your Electric Bike

Security is always a concern when using an electric bike as a commuter. But rather than carrying around a big, heavy bike lock and chain, you can leave it at work. This way, your lock will be where you use it without having to carry the extra weight.

Pick A Good Route

If you can, pick a route with quieter roads. Busy roads can be intimidating and slow you down as you wave through traffic.

Depending on what type of electric bike you have, you can choose more adventurous routes. By mixing up your journey, you can make it more fun and exciting.

Prepare For Bad Weather

You don’t need to find other modes of transport when the weather turns bad. You can protect your clothes from mud and water with a good set of mudguards.

But to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible, you should invest in some good breathable wet weather gear.

If you are looking for a new electric bike for commuting, check out our online store.