Cyclist distraught after returning to upsetting scene at bike rack: 'Pain'

One Reddit post has reminded sustainable transport enthusiasts of the dangerous trends pervading the electric vehicle community after a suspected vandalism incident of their beloved e-bike.

"Dunno if they were trying to steal the display or just being vandals but it was a pain," the Redditor posted to the subreddit r/ebikes. The cyclist was appalled after parking their bike near some shops and coming back to find 10cm of cable cut off of the wiring.

"There has been an impact from a concerted campaign of misinformation." — Photo Credit: Reddit

Electric bikes are efficient bicycles equipped with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery to help riders pedal. They are highly accessible, allowing riders to get up hills and travel longer distances with ease, perfect for city cyclists. The best part is, they are completely free of polluting emissions.

Despite the benefits, a growing presence of vandals has harmed electric transport, likely surging from anti-EV sentiment.

Concerns that low-carbon means depleting minerals and that the pollution from mining outweighs the benefits of clean energy have become prominent talking points against EVs. However, these arguments have consistently been debunked as researchers explain that the environmental impact of gas engines is far worse.

"Mining quantities for low-carbon energy will be 500 to 1000 times less than current fossil fuel production," Hannah Ritchie, a researcher at the University of Oxford, wrote in a Substack post.

TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight

💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands

As for pollution emitted through production, there are some drawbacks. However, it's necessary to remember that "most of the air pollution released from both EVs and gas-powered cars comes after the manufacturing process," and that the pollution from traditional engines dwarfs emissions from electric transport. Data from the U.S. Department of Energy shows that gas-powered vehicles are said to release a national average of 12,594 pounds of carbon air pollution annually, as opposed to the 2,817 pounds that come from EVs.

Anti-EV sentiment could be behind the vandalism. What is transparent is the concerning disillusionment from those considering transitioning to electric transportation.

Richard Bruce, the director of transport decarbonisation at the Department for Transport in the U.K., bolstered the argument of experts for Autocar. "There has been an impact from a concerted campaign of misinformation. There is an anti-EV story in the papers almost every day, almost all of which are based on misconceptions and mistruths."

Would you be more likely to drive an EV if you could charge it in 5 minutes?

Yes 👍

Depends on the cost 💰

No way 👎

I already have an EV 🔌

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.