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E-bikes: will the two-wheel revolution be motorised?

We seem to think only the unfit and Deliveroo riders should get a boost in the saddle. That should change, insist the peddlers of electric bikes

E-bike rental services, such as Lime bikes in London, have introduced thousands of people to the benefits of the vehicles
E-bike rental services, such as Lime bikes in London, have introduced thousands of people to the benefits of the vehicles
ALAMY
Damian Arnold
The Times

In the grip of lockdown misery in 2020 Boris Johnson, then prime minister, comforted the nation with the idea that people could go for a daily cycle — and so began a bike-buying frenzy. E-bike sales boomed because consumers were attracted by the ease and greater range in urban areas afforded by the battery that could be recharged via a household plug.

When the pandemic ended and road traffic returned to normal, levels of cycling dropped and those who thought the UK was on the cusp of an e-bike revolution were disappointed.

The cost of living crisis, and the rise in the price of a bicycle by about 47 per cent in the past three years, have further stymied Britain’s e-bike market. In the past