The well-honed argument against batteries
For years, we’ve been told that batteries are the problem with EABs. Lithium extraction, complex recycling, programmed obsolescence… It’s a well-honed line that crystallizes all the environmental criticisms levelled at electric bikes.
Except that the real figures tell a completely different story. In a survey recently published by Vert in partnership with UFC Que Choisir, the journalists cite the work of Anne de Bortoli, a researcher specializing in the carbon impact of transport at the École Polytechnique in Paris, which reveals a very different reality.
Figures that change everything
According to an analysis by Anne de Bortoli published in 2023 in the magazine of the Institut polytechnique de Paris, the manufacture of a VAE represents 94% of its carbon footprint for a bike that has covered 20,000 kilometers. But the breakdown of this impact overturns preconceptions:
- Aluminum frame: 181 kg CO2 equivalent (76% of total impact)
- Engine: 37 kg CO2 equivalent (15.5%)
- Battery: 20 kg CO2 equivalent (only 8.5%)
The ratio: 1 to 9, in favor of the battery. The unnoticed frame therefore represents the bulk of the carbon footprint of a VAE, while the battery, which is systematically pointed out, accounts for less than 10%.
In a VAE, it’s the “V” that pollutes, not the “AE”.
This revelation changes the perspective on the environmental impact of electric bikes. It’s not the electric assistance that’s the problem, it’s the manufacture of the bike itself. The acronym VAE takes on a new meaning: in “Vélo à Assistance Électrique”, it’s the “V” in bicycle that generates the major impact, not the “AE” in electric assistance.
Aluminium, the material of choice for most modern frames, is particularly energy-intensive to produce. The production of a 20 kg aluminum frame made in China alone generates 181 kg of CO2 equivalent, nine times more than the entire battery for the electrical system.
Electrification as an ecological solution
Given this situation, electrifying existing bikes is an attractive environmental solution. As the Vert survey explains, “electrifying your bike means you don’t have to build a new frame, which is the most polluting link in the chain. Provided, of course, that you extend the life of your bike and don’t buy a brand-new one.”
The electrification kits thus avoid the famous 181 kg of CO2 equivalent of a new frame, while retaining the 20 kg of the battery. This represents a carbon impact saving of 89% compared with the purchase of a new VAE.
A lever for modal transition
The stakes go beyond simply reducing carbon impact. Aurélien Bigo, a researcher specializing in the energy transition of transport cited in the survey, points out that electrification democratizes the electric bike: “With its more affordable cost, this method can bring new categories of people to the EAB, for whom price was a brake.”
The modal transition figures speak for themselves: “The simple addition of a motor and a battery can have a significant effect on changes in usage. Today, we can see that electric bikes are encouraging former car drivers to take up cycling, as well as the elderly and people who are not very sporty. All in all, EABs can replace 50-70% of journeys previously made by car”, adds the researcher.
The economic argument that counts
Cost remains a major barrier to the adoption of new VAEs. With an average price of around 2,000 euros according to UFC Que Choisir, the acquisition of a new VAE represents a major investment for many households. Electrification offers an economical alternative, with approved kits available from 400 to 1100 euros.
This affordability encourages new categories of users to adopt electric mobility. Paris and Lyon offer conversion grants of up to 400 euros, Toulouse and Bordeaux 250 euros, Strasbourg 150 euros. Some regions complete the scheme, with up to 200 euros in the Île-de-France and Grand Est regions.
The evolution of the bicycle towards unsustainability
Historical analysis reveals a worrying trend. According to research by Low-tech Magazine, “the bicycle evolved very slowly until the early 1980s, then suddenly underwent a rapid succession of changes that continues today.” This evolution is accompanied by an increase in resource use and a decrease in lifespan.
Before the 1980s, virtually all bicycles were made of steel, with excellent component compatibility between brands and generations. This meant that cycles could be kept in working order for decades through repair and reconditioning.
Programmed incompatibility
Today, manufacturers have introduced an increasing number of proprietary parts and are constantly changing standards, creating compatibility problems even for older bikes of the same brand. This commercial strategy forces complete replacement rather than repair, artificially shortening the lifespan of equipment.
As a study on circularity in the cycle industry points out: “Abandoning standardization is a profitable business model because it ensures that bikes can only be ridden for a limited time.”
A change in media discourse
This awareness is beginning to make inroads in the specialist media. The survey by Vert and UFC Que Choisir joins other voices advocating a more nuanced approach to the environmental impact of EABs. The electrification of existing bikes is presented as “a more economical and ecological solution than buying a new electric bike.”
The battery could save the bike
Finally, the battery, so often accused of damaging the environment, could well be the key to the sustainable democratization of cycling. By making electric assistance accessible through electrification, it avoids the need to manufacture new frames, while encouraging people to give up the car for everyday journeys.
Electrification meets the two major challenges of sustainable mobility: reducing carbon impact by avoiding the manufacture of new frames, and democratizing access to electric mobility by dividing costs by two to three. Same performance, reduced cost, minimized carbon impact.
In a context where the ecological transition requires pragmatic and accessible solutions, the electrification of existing bicycles is an obvious and well-documented option. The figures speak for themselves: when VAE batteries are once again accused of polluting, it should be remembered that they pollute nine times less than the frame they equip. Above all, they open the way to more accessible and sustainable mobility for all.
Sources :
https://vert.eco/articles/kits-tarifs-comment-transformer-votre-bicyclette-en-velo-electrique
https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2023/02/can-we-make-bicycles-sustainable-again
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