Edward Benjamin
Chairman, Light Electric Vehicle Association
Senior Managing Director, eCycleElectric Consultants
22th April 2024
We should all be Proud to be creating and promoting tools for Sustainability
Light Electric Vehicles are an important tool for the human race. These individual vehicles improve life and mobility, with much smaller environmental impact than internal combustion vehicles. Yes, so do bicycles, and we should always be respectful of human powered bicycles as well.
The lack of a tail pipe is obvious. And while there are those who moan that there are carbon costs in making the vehicles, distributing the vehicles, charging, and eventually recycling the vehicles and batteries … all of these issues exist, much larger, with internal combustion.
Some less obvious benefits: Light electric vehicles and human powered bicycles are the appropriate vehicles for our ever more dense cities. Humans are moving into apartment towers, with less room available for parking lots, roadways, etc. Most LEVs and bicycles occupy a very small space when parked, compared to internal combustion vehicles. And while there are fire issues associated with lithium batteries…I suggest there are serious fire issues associated with gasoline. We are in the process of learning how to deal with LEV issues, as we once learned how to deal with 14 gallons of gasoline in our vehicles, garages, and homes.
Light Electric Vehicles include many types: Electric Bicycles, Electric Motorcycles, Electric Scooters in several configurations, Hoverboards, Electric mono wheels, Electric skateboards and more. These vehicles are joined more and more by clever inventions each year. The commonality is that they are compact, use electricity (which is available from many generating sources, including carbon neutral sources).
People and communities that use bicycles and light electric vehicles not only reduce their impact on the Earth, they also encourage the development of the natural partners of LEV’s: Metro’s, Trains, Bus Lines, Bike Paths, and supporting infrastructure. Again, a gain for all people.
So we have a lot to be proud of now.
But we can do even better.
I am writing this on Monday, April 22, Earth Day. Most of you will receive this later this week. Still Earth Day Week.
During the Taipei Cycle Show this year, I listened to manufacturers presenting the ways they were contributing to Sustainability. Mostly it was improving their use of energy and materials. Recycling scrap, and so forth. These presentations were organized by the Bicycling Alliance for Sustainability. I found them inspiring.
Only some LEVA members are manufacturers. But we are all interested in sustainability and our everyday actions help.
I have a question for the membership: What can LEVA do to bolster the Sustainability of the Light Electric Vehicle Industry, and the use of our products?
Please respond to ed@levassociation.com
Thank you
Edward Benjamin
Chairman LEVA