In a subreddit dedicated to the benefits of exchanging cars for walking, biking, and other eco-friendly methods of travel, one user shared how they saved a ton of cash by going carless and switching to an e-bike.
"I sold my car and bought an e-bike. Here's the unexpected financial breakdown after 6 months," they titled the post.
The original poster explained that they'd been paying $400 a month in car payments along with $150 in insurance. Being fed up with so much money going down the drain, they took the plunge and bought an e-bike for their daily commutes. While they had expected "hidden maintenance costs," they were pleasantly surprised by the significant cost savings associated with owning an e-bike.
"My fuel cost is literally pennies, and the only maintenance I have done on my Freedare has been a simple brake adjustment at my local bike shop, and the guy didn't mind it was a DTC [direct-to-consumer] ebike," they wrote.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
Another unexpected benefit came when they renewed their renters insurance. When the company discovered that their e-bike was equipped with 4G GPS tracking, they offered a major discount on the policy for the anti-theft feature.
In short, swapping their car for an e-bike was likely the best decision they made in 2025, both for their wallet and the planet. While the vast majority of Americans still commute to work by car, according to Statista, a growing number of people are choosing to travel via bike, whether that's to and from work each day or simply to run errands.
Either way, any electric-powered mode of travel that replaces cars means less environmental pollution, which benefits the health of nearby communities and people on the roads. Not to mention, being able to ride your bike to work or to run errands provides a chance to exercise, meaning you can kill two birds with one stone and perhaps avoid having to work out after a long day of adulting.
According to the used e-bike platform Upway, you stand to save anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 a year by switching to an electric bike for short trips or longer commutes. Savings will vary depending on how far you travel each day, but just the savings on gas alone can really make a difference over time.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
If you're interested in buying an e-bike, Upway offers a huge variety of bikes from name brands, many of which are at least 60% off the retail price. And if you want to either swap out your e-bike or simply sell it, Upway also buys certain brands of bikes, as long as they were manufactured after 2014.
And if you pair an e-bike with home solar, you can save even more on charging costs while reducing your home's pollution output. To get free solar quotes from vetted contractors, check out EnergySage, which can help you find the best system to suit your needs.
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Energy savings 💰 Commenters congratulated the OP on their newfound financial freedom after buying an e-bike.
"I work in insurance, and this is becoming more common," one said. "A verifiable GPS tracker like the one on your bike is a huge mitigator for theft risk, which is the #1 reason for claims on e-bikes. Smart move."
"This is the content I'm here for. Congrats on ditching the car! The insurance discount is a wild and awesome perk," said another.
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