When you think of electric vehicles, your mind probably jumps to cars. Well, Ford is here to prove you wrong. In August, the company unveiled e-bikes inspired by the Bronco and Mustang, according to Electrek.
Ford partnered with N+, a cycling company, to create the prototypes. Since they're modeled after popular cars, they're much pricier than most e-bikes. The Bronco e-bike, for example, costs $4,500. The Mustang version starts at $4,000.
High-end e-bikes can be expensive but usually don't exceed $2,000. Regardless of how much you pay up front, they usually cost less to maintain and require less attention than gas-powered bikes.
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Shorter commute to work 🚴 It's the same with electric cars (though on a much larger scale). Lithium-ion batteries are better for the environment than gas-powered engines and are much more convenient.
However, some people have doubts, citing pollution caused by the dirty-fuel-powered mining of lithium. Charging an EV can also cause pollution, especially if your home's electricity is powered by gas or coal.
An imperfect process isn't the same as a bad one, though. Research shows that EVs are better for the environment even despite lithium mining, releasing about six times less carbon air pollution.
Plus, they require much less mining as a whole, as 16.5 billion tons of dirty fuels are extracted from Earth per year. Compare that to the 30 million tons of minerals needed for EVs. The winner is clear. No matter which way you slice it, electric vehicles are better for the planet.
Ford's jumping on the EV bandwagon is a good sign for the future (even if the e-bikes in question are expensive). One step in the right direction is better than no steps at all. As one Reddit commenter put it, "I absolutely love that car manufacturers are getting in on ebikes, even if it's a licensing deal -- more trips on an ebike is fewer on a car."
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