We hop in the car to get groceries or drop kids at school. But while the car is convenient, these short trips add up in terms of emissions, pollution and petrol cost.
Close to half (44%) of all Australian commuter trips are by car – and under 10km. Of Perth’s 4.2 million daily car trips, 2.8 million are for distances of less than 2km.
This is common in wealthier countries. In the United States, a staggering 60% of all car trips cover less than 10km.
So what’s the best solution? You might think switching to an electric vehicle is the natural step. In fact, for short trips, an electric bike or moped might be better for you – and for the planet. That’s because these forms of transport – collectively known as electric micromobility – are cheaper to buy and run.
But it’s more than that – they are actually displacing four times as much demand for oil as all the world’s electric cars at present, due to their staggering uptake in China and other nations where mopeds are a common form of transport.
The article’s premise is not really backed up by the content. A more accurate title would be ‘Electric Bikes Gaining Popularity In China,’ which isn’t really a surprise. China’s investing heavily in renewables.
But what’s the west doing? The US is trying to ban/tariff imports of Chinese renewables tech. On top of that, our cities are intentionally planned for cars, and largely unsafe for bike riders.
Getting pretty sick of western outlets shitting on China constantly, but every time they do something great that we all benefit from, the news pretends it’s a global achievement even as western leaders do everything in their power to halt progress and appease the oil lobby.