Is the electric bike just for lazy people and sore people? Do you need a license, insurance, gloves? Is it dangerous and lacks autonomy? We disentangle the false from the true.

#1 “It’s definitely a thing for lazy people”

Contrary to certain beliefs, an electrically assisted bicycle ( although equipped with a motor) requires pedaling. The electrical assistance can be adjusted according to your physical condition or your objectives, which will delight lovers of effort and sweat.

More than the love of the pedal, one of the most commonly accepted vocations of the electric bike is to replace the use of the car on short and medium journeys.

According to a study carried out among our users (2024): the use of electric bikes has replaced that of the car for 100 % of them on daily journeys.

The electric bike has become a means of transport in its own right: taking your children to school, running errands, going out in town... the electrical assistance provided is clearly welcome, especially when facing a climb, when you are loaded or two as with our two-seater Yuvy .

If it replaces the use of the car, the electric bike is therefore a solution which requires a little more physical effort than driving a car.

The use of electric bicycles has also reduced the use of public transport. Taking a metro, tram or bus still requires no more effort than an electric bike and the latter can even be seen as the most pleasant way and offering the most freedom.

As an added benefit, pedal assist makes cycling accessible to a wider range of people, including those who might be limited by fitness, age, or health issues.

So the next time someone tells us that it's a lazy thing, we don't hesitate to respond:

“No Martine, a dad who takes his children to school by electric bike is not lazy!”

“Yes, Daniel, it is better to take your electric bike rather than your car!”

“But anyway, Xavier… we don’t make more effort in the metro!”

And then if we want to be lazy, ultimately, that's up to us.

#2 “It’s going too fast, it’s dangerous!”

The lack of safety is a common misconception that comes up frequently: electric bikes go very fast and are in fact more dangerous.

However, electrically assisted bicycles have a speed limit of 25 km/h. In terms of pure speed, they therefore go as fast as a raccoon ( whose speed is also limited to 25 km/h) and slower than a mountain bike, a scooter, a motorcycle, a metro or a car.

On the other hand, even if they can go slower, it is proven that on certain urban journeys, we arrive much faster by bike than by car, by public transport or even on foot.

Traffic jams, parking, traffic rules, etc.: they save a lot of time and ultimately allow you to go faster, especially in the city. It’s The Hare and the Tortoise reinvented.

Regarding dangerousness, contrary to popular belief, cyclists are 10 times less likely to be injured than in cars. The 2023 - 2027 Cycling Plan put in place by the Government only goes in this direction by developing even more secure spaces reserved for cyclists.

#3 “The batteries don’t have enough autonomy”

This argument could have been valid in the 90s when the first mass-produced electric bikes were released. At the time, they only had a maximum range of 20 to 40 km. Today, a standard battery can last up to 60 km (Bordeaux-Arcachon) and a long-distance battery up to 110 km (Nantes-Rennes).

By anticipating your journeys and recharging it regularly, a battery has enough time to cover a good length of journey before being discharged. With the screens which specify the remaining battery level, a charge can be anticipated as well as a full tank of petrol.

An additional advantage is that an electric bike is equipped with pedals, which is very practical: a battery failure ultimately leaves us less in trouble than pushing a car.

#4 “You need insurance, a license, etc. to have an e-bike”

And no ! There is no administrative phobia when it comes to electrically assisted bicycles!

In France, to ride an electrically assisted bicycle (and not a speed bike) it is not necessary to have a driving license, to register the bicycle, nor to take out specific insurance beyond liability. civil.

For an e-bike to be considered as such and not require a license, the bicycle must be equipped with an electric motor which assists the cyclist only when pedaling, up to a maximum of 25 km/h. Beyond this speed, the assistance must be cut off. The rated power of the motor must not exceed 250 watts. The Elwing Yuvy therefore falls well into the VAE category.

#5 “It’s a boho thing”

Electric bikes are not just a “boho thing” for several important reasons that relate to urban mobility, the environment, health and accessibility. They represent much more than a niche trend or a status symbol. They are a key component of the transition towards more sustainable, accessible and healthy modes of transport, benefiting society as a whole and not just a specific socio-economic group.

In short, far from being a mode of transport for lazy people, eco-friendly people, speed freaks or simply restrictive, electric bikes offer a multitude of physical, environmental and social advantages by making cycling more accessible, practical and pleasant for everyone.

On the way !

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