Sales of e-bikes (or e-bikes as they're more commonly known) have been skyrocketing for the past few years, and they show no signs of slowing down.

Since entering the market in the 2010s, the best e bikes under $2000 have dropped in price and are growing in popularity with all types of cyclists: club riders, urban commuters, recreational cyclists, and those who just need a little help. A to B.

This is a great value buy for anyone who bikes to work. Electric assist gets you there on time, but with less sweat than arriving on a non-motorized bike.

As cities around the world try to remove cars from the road and put more people on bikes, e-bikes will become more of a feature of our everyday lives.

The global electric bicycle market size was valued at USD 21.0 billion in 2018. This figure is expected to grow to $39 billion by 2025. In 2019, Deloitte released its annual Technology, Media and Communications Forecast, one of which said 130 million e-bikes would be sold globally between 2020 and 2023. E-bikes "will easily overtake other electric vehicles" by the end of 2020, the report said.

So why are e-bikes so perfect for getting people from point A to point B?

The advantages of electric bicycles have been the focus of numerous studies. All of this points to people's enthusiasm for e-bikes as they make commuting to work, shops and school easier. The belief that no effort is required means that people can go farther, and that they are more likely to do so.

When New York-based bike-sharing program Citi Bike first piloted its fleet of e-bikes, average trip lengths increased by 10 percent compared with traditional bikes. In addition, participants were twice as likely to say they used e-bikes for journeys that required crossing bridges or going up hills.

Cycling takes an average of 44 minutes in the UK, according to research by the TUC trade union, a time no doubt daunting for many. Still, e-bikes help remove barriers to commuting like distance and hills.

The mixed terrain capabilities of the best electric gravel bikes also allow you to take off-road shortcuts.

E-bikes also allow people to cycle deeper into the year. Even the hardest bike commuter can find biking to work in the colder months a challenge, even if they've invested in year-round commuting gear. Of course, for many novices, the drop in temperature is the whole excuse to put the bike back in the garage and head to the car, bus or train.

In New York City, Citi Bike ridership dropped 60% from October to February. But interestingly, e-bike usage has remained steady during this period. This suggests faster trip times and ease of use are enough to get more cyclists commuting in winter.

Are Electric Bikes Worth It?

where is the battery Electric bikes look as sleek and cool as standard road bikes

cost-effective solution

Another reason e-bikes are relevant to city dwellers is their affordability. Lithium-ion battery technology is not only getting better, it's also getting cheaper, helping to bring down the overall cost of e-bikes, leading to more spec models under £1,000 - we've rounded up the best of these in our best in the Budget Electric Bike Guide.

But you don't really start saving until you buy an e-bike. Running costs are low after a large initial investment in the bike itself. Battery life continues to improve, and you can expect to only need to replace it after about 10,000 miles. Considering the annual service, it's still an affordable option compared to the cost of driving and driving around the city, especially if you have to pay to park at your destination.

One of the best e-bike conversion kits might be worth considering if you're looking to lower your initial e-bike outlay.

health benefits

We all know that cycling is good for our physical and mental health, and swinging a leg on an e-bike helps keep us happy. It's recommended that you get at least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week, and using an e-bike for your daily commute may easily get you there.

If you're worried that riding an e-bike won't provide enough exercise to warrant being called a "workout," you're wrong. Numerous studies have shown that riding an e-bike really does get your heart pumping.

One such study in Boulder, Colorado, found that participants' average heart rates were about 75 percent of their maximum when riding an electric bike for at least 40 minutes at a time. This is similar to a brisk walk and is enough to meet health guidelines for "moderate" exercise.

Where are e-bikes most popular?

Unsurprisingly, the answer is the most bike-friendly countries on the planet - the Netherlands and Denmark. People of all ages navigate towns and cities on two roads

Eels, all thanks to an infrastructure that is the envy of the world.

The Dutch city of Utrecht built its first dedicated cycle lane in 1885. Today, 25,000 bicycle trips are made every day. Interestingly, e-bike sales are particularly buoyant in places where significant investment in cycling infrastructure has been made. In the Netherlands, e-bikes outsold standard bikes (excluding racing and kids’ bikes) in 2018, a 40% increase from 2017, while in Copenhagen bicycles and e-bikes now outsold cars.

The Norwegian capital Oslo has pledged to build a car-free centre, removing 700 parking spaces and replacing them with cycle lanes. In response, there has been a surge in use of urban bike-sharing schemes.

Are e-bikes the future for everyone?

It's not just a cycling mecca where the infrastructure is on the rise. Elsewhere in the world, governments are putting more effort into improving towns and cities so more people can ride bikes — whether on e-bikes or regular bikes.

In the UK, the government recently provided support to councils across the country to improve their cycling infrastructure through a £250m Active Mobility Fund, the first stage of a planned £2bn investment in walking and cycling. Pop-up cycle lanes created during the Covid-19 pandemic's lockdown could even become permanent, Transport for London officials mused.

In Brussels and Milan, the pandemic has also led to plans to redesign 25 and 22 miles of city center streets, respectively, to make it safer for cyclists.