E-bike revolution: Qld families save $2500-plus by ditching the car

Queenslanders are ditching cars for e-bikes as a penny pinching exercise as people continue to struggle under cost of living pressures.

Queenslanders are ditching cars for e-bikes as a penny pinching exercise as people continue to struggle under cost of living pressures.

E-bike sellers have seen a surge in sales as an alternative to cars, as families try to move away from two cars, to just one to cut down on costs.

99 Bikes e-bike expert Tony Latter said his Tweed Heads’ store has seen about a 500 per cent growth in e-bike sales in the last 12 months alone.

In Queensland commuters can ride an e-bike on all roads and paths, except where bicycles are prohibited and licences are not required to ride them.

Mr Latter said young families are taking advantage of e-bikes, purchasing cargo-type models and installing child seats or simply carrying groceries.

He said a number of these families have decided to “ditch” their second car since purchasing an e-bike.

“We are now a one car family – I have done 17,000 kilometres on e-bikes in two and a half years,” he said.

Harriet recently moved to Brisbane with her two young girls Florence and Bella and desperately needed to get a car, but transport costs are far too high.

“I would hate to work out what the fuel cost on 17,000 kilometres is but I know I save $2500 a year on rego and insurance.”

Mr Latter said he only travels about five kilometres to work but that several people within a 10 kilometre commute are also purchasing e-bikes.

E-bike subscription service Lug+Carrie has also seen a number of families ditch their second car and embrace personal mobility devices amid the cost of living crisis.

Lug+Carrie was founded in 2019 by brothers Dan and Ben Carr, who wanted to make it easier for people to use e-bikes for everyday transport.

“Our company is all about making transport better, whether that be better for the environment, better for your physical and mental health or better for your budget,” Dan Carr said.

“We know the upfront cost of a quality e-bike can create a financial obstacle for people to get started, which is why we developed our subscription model.

“It allows people to take a ‘test and learn’ approach to changing the way they get from A to B.

“For every commuter that makes the switch, another car is off the road and isn’t stuck in traffic at peak hour.

Red Hill local and single mum of two Harriet moved back to Brisbane earlier this year.

She desperately needed a car but decided to “trial” an e-bike.

“I have been renting an e-bike for about four months – I’m not going to give it back,” she said.

Harriet opted to hire an e-bike instead and hasn’t looked back.

Harriet said she was initially apprehensive about having two small children on a bike but that she is lucky to live less than four kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD.

“It is pretty easy to find a quiet route to get places,” she said.

Mr Latter said e-bikes start from $1359 but that the “battery is still the most expensive component” which can cost between $500 and $1200 for a replacement.

“Most batteries have about 500 charge cycles – for the average user – that’s about five years,” Mr Latter said.

He said e-bikes users are able to “keep up with traffic during peak hour”.

“The e-bike itself – makes the average person who’s not traditionally a cyclist feel more comfortable and confident,” he said.

Mr Latter said the biggest obstacles for e-bike users is to “know your area” and the “cycling infrastructure”.

“That’s probably the biggest thing to overcome – how do I get to where I need to go safely.”

He said it can cost as little as 20 cents to recharge an e-bike which is cheaper than fuel or parking in the CBD.

“You’re not burning fuel, sitting in traffic … you can also take off at lights … All of those things that make you feel more confident when you’re riding in traffic.”

Lug+Carrie subscriptions start from $44 a week, including bike delivery and set up.

For more information visit: https://lug-carrie.com/good-mover

Originally published as E-bike revolution: Qld families save $2500-plus by ditching the car