Switching From a Car to an Electric Bike : A Sensible Choice!

The electrically assisted bicycle (EAB) is an efficient mobility option, enabling you to cover longer distances while reducing the impact of steep climbs and wind, making your journeys more pleasant, efficient, and quicker. The benefits are numerous! Whether it's to get to work, the grocery store or to take a child to daycare, it's an economical and environmentally friendly way to get around every day, and a great way to stay in shape. It's for all these reasons that Élisabeth Wistaff-Lalande chose to give up her car in favour of the EAB. An EAB is a bicycle equipped with an electric motor and powered by a rechargeable battery that you can choose whether or not to use. Without the use of the electric motor, you pedal like a conventional bicycle. With its assistance, pedalling requires less effort and enables you to cover greater distances.

Élisabeth's inspiring transportation cocktail

Élisabeth lives in Terrebonne and works in Laval. From April to November, the EAB has become her daily means of transportation, both to work and to the grocery store. In fall and winter, she uses public transit. Was this transition difficult for her?

When you do it gradually, the transition is easy and the result is conclusive, she says. “I realized that the solo car made no sense, whereas the electrically assisted bike was part of the solution. It's really good for your physical and mental health, as you spend more time outdoors. As for the financial aspect, the acquisition of my EAB enabled me to sell my car, so I no longer have to make payments and I no longer have to pay for gas or parking. It's a significant financial gain that allows me to stay in shape.” In fact, thanks to her EAB, Élisabeth is able to save $470 a month during the summer, and $365 a month in winter, when she has to buy a public transit pass. All in all, that's a saving of $5,010 a year!

An EAB for every need

When we're looking to improve our physical and mental health and reduce our carbon footprint without disrupting our habits too much, the choice of an EAB proves very interesting: a household with two vehicles, for example, may decide to get rid of one of them. Following her recent participation in Vélovolt – Équiterre's electrically assisted bicycle trial program –, Élisabeth sold her car and chose the EAB as her commuting solution.

With an EAB, regardless of the route, the degree of assistance can be modulated according to the intensity of the physical effort required. “When I used to ride my regular bike to work, I had to take a shower at work on hot days. Now with the EAB, that's no longer an issue. There's also a way to set up the EAB in a more active way, and that's what I often do because physical exercise is very important to me.”

A plus for physical and mental health

By enabling Élisabeth to spend more time outdoors, away from traffic jams, the EAB has become essential to her physical and mental health. “It makes a big difference to spend a lot more time outdoors. My route is varied and made up of bike paths located on busy streets but also on the banks of waterways, which offers me beautiful moments of contemplation during my daily commute.”

So, whether you're going to work, to an appointment, to the grocery store or to visit friends or family, whether you want to wear sportswear or street clothes, whatever the route and whatever the weather conditions, the EAB can be the perfect solution for many!

Video for more information (French only)

• Getting around by electric bike in Estrie (video capsule)