NYBC: E-Bikes are a Smart Choice
E-bikes are a great transportation option for those looking to replace their car for short trips, help make commuters’ trips more manageable, for seniors looking for a way to continue to exercise outdoors safely, and to mitigate carbon emissions.
The e-bike market has grown rapidly in recent years, with 29% increase from 2024-2025 according to Light Electric Vehicle Association. You may be considering buying one yourself, if you haven't already! They are a great green alternative to cars, still raise your heart rate enough to improve fitness, bridge transportation gaps, and make cycling accessible to a wider audience.
Most are aware that e-bikes are an environmentally-friendly alternative to gas-powered vehicles, emitting zero CO2 emissions during use, and are often used to substitute cars in short errands as well as extend distances that an analog cyclist might travel to get around town. But let’s talk sustainability beyond their zero-emissions use status.
Even when considering manufacturing and electricity usage, e-bikes emit 10 to 20 grams of CO₂ per mile, compared to 400 grams and 200 grams per mile for gas-powered and electric cars, respectively. E-bikes require less material than cars do for production; an e-bike battery is significantly smaller than one for electric cards, as are the amount of other elements like metals and plastics. A smaller battery means less raw material (i.e lithium and cobalt) extraction for production.
If you want to be a truly sustainable e-cyclist, you need to think about what happens when you dispose of your e-bike.
It is important that e-bike batteries aren’t tossed with your typical trash - they can cause great physical and environmental harm. Lithium-ion batteries can spark fires and the chemicals inside of them can seep into our soil and groundwater if they are not disposed of responsibly. The materials in e-bike batteries can be recycled and reused, reducing the demand for mining. By responsibly recycling your e-bike battery with an authorized recycler, you are committing to a truly sustainable form of transport throughout its entire life cycle. The Battery Network has a location-based lookup tool to find a battery recycling outfit near you.
Another great way to minimize your environmental impact when looking for an e-bike is buying secondhand. Check with your local bike shop to see if they have used options, or if they service e-bikes that they do not sell directly. If you are looking at options like Facebook or Craigslist, it’s a smart idea to coordinate with the current owner to get it checked up at your local bike shop to make sure you know what to expect before buying. Heads up - you may need to get the battery replaced, as they generally lose juice over time.
In addition to local options, Upway is a nationwide online second hand e-bike dealer with warehouses in Brooklyn, NY and Los Angeles, and they partner with brick-and-mortars across the US. Upway was a major donor to our Ride & Dine event this June, and we are so grateful to have their support. You can both buy and sell used e-bikes through Upway. We were able to visit their Brooklyn location and check out their thorough process from receiving the used e-bikes, to fixing, cleaning, testing, and staging the e-bikes. Many of their bikes are practically new; manufacturers or bike shops looking to clear out inventory will send them overstock for resale. Especially important to us at NYBC, their website offers only legal options based on the state that you live in, as different states have different laws on types of e-bikes that may be used on the road.
Similar to safely disposing of your e-bike battery, if you want to take a holistic approach to the full lifecycle of your e-bike, consider buying second-hand and giving your used bike the chance for a second life - be it through a local shop or options like Upway.
