The energy efficiency of an electric bicycle can reach 0.015-0.025kWh/km (data from the China Bicycle Association in 2024). Calculated at the electricity price of 0.6 yuan /kWh in Beijing, the electricity cost per kilometer is only 0.009-0.015 yuan. In contrast, the fuel consumption of a 125cc fuel-powered motorcycle is approximately 2.2L per 100km. Calculated at 8.5 yuan per liter for 92-octane gasoline, the cost per kilometer is 0.187 yuan. The energy cost savings of an electric bicycle can reach 92% to 95%. If users ride an average of 20 kilometers per day, the annual fuel cost savings can reach 1,284 yuan, which is equivalent to 68% of the annual expenditure on ordinary urban public transportation. According to the International Energy Agency’s estimation, if 10% of global trips made by fuel-powered vehicles within 5 kilometers were replaced by electric bicycles, 170 million barrels of fuel could be saved annually, worth approximately 85 billion yuan.
The difference in maintenance costs is even more significant. The complexity of the transmission system of an electric bicycle is 80% lower than that of an internal combustion engine. The median annual maintenance cost is 300 yuan, while that of a fuel-powered motorcycle is 1,500 yuan (including oil change, air filter, etc.). Take the Yadea DE3 model as an example. Its brushless motor design extends the maintenance cycle to 5,000 kilometers per time, which is 40% lower than the 3,000 kilometers per time maintenance frequency of fuel vehicles. More importantly, the regenerative braking system can increase the braking energy recovery efficiency to 18%, providing an additional 8% range on urban roads with frequent starts and stops (such as Nanjing East Road in Shanghai, where the average daily braking frequency reaches 120 times), which is equivalent to reducing power consumption by 0.4kWh per 1,000 kilometers.
Policy subsidies further amplify economic advantages. Hangzhou offers a subsidy of up to 800 yuan for the purchase of electric bicycles that meet the new national standards, reducing the actual purchase cost of entry-level models to 2,800 yuan, which is 43% cheaper than that of fuel-powered motorcycles of the same level. The Shenzhen Municipal Government will build 1,200 public charging piles in 2023. Users can charge 30kWh for free each month, which is sufficient to support a 600-kilometer cycling demand. According to statistics from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, office workers who switch to electric bicycles for commuting have seen their monthly parking fees drop from an average of 450 yuan to 0 yuan, saving 5,400 yuan annually, with a return rate as high as 180% (calculated based on a purchase cost of 5,000 yuan).
Environmental protection benefits are transformed into implicit fuel savings. Each electric bicycle can reduce carbon emissions by an average of 0.5 tons per year, which is equivalent to saving 206 liters of gasoline (according to the EPA conversion standard). If 1% of the fuel-powered vehicles in New York City (about 85,000) were replaced, it would be equivalent to reducing crude oil consumption by 42,500 tons per year, enough to fill 1.7 standard Olympic swimming pools. Technological innovation is also enhancing energy efficiency. For instance, Bosch’s new generation of drive units to be launched in 2024 will increase the motor efficiency from 86% to 93% and reduce power consumption by 22% when riding on a 10% slope. User tests show that electric bicycles equipped with this system can still keep the electricity cost within 1.2 yuan per 100 kilometers on the mountainous roads of Chongqing, saving 91% compared to fuel-powered motorcycles on the same route.
The saving of time cost also has economic value. The average commuting time of an electric bicycle within a 3-kilometer radius is 9 minutes, which is 37% faster than that of a car (data from Autonavi Maps in Q1 2024). After Guangzhou food delivery riders started using electric bicycles, their average daily delivery volume increased from 38 to 52, and their monthly income rose by 2,100 yuan, which is equivalent to a “time gain” of 14.7 yuan per liter of gasoline per hour. These data prove that electric bicycles are reconfiguring the fuel economy system of urban travel through multi-dimensional efficiency innovations.