Health Benefits Of An Electric Trike
Just like riding an electric bike, riding an electric trike either for your daily commute or for recreation, can have a positive impact on your health by boosting your cardiovascular strength and helping you maintain a healthier body weight. Riding an electric trike is a great way to get cardiovascular exercise that strengthens and tones core muscles.
Even using a pedal-assist electric trike you are still getting exercise, although not as intensive as you would on a non powered tricycle or bicycle. Great for if you are using your electric trike to commute to work so you can arrive at the office or back home without breaking a sweat unless you want to.
This low impact form of exercise is a good way to start off with some kind of physical exercise for those looking to get in better shape, or back in shape because it does not overly stress your joints.
People who are physically active compared to people who live a more sedentary lifestyle generally have reduced risk of diabetes, depression, heart disease, cancer, stroke, age related disabilities and even premature death. When compared to a traditional tricycle, a pedal assist electric trike takes care of the heavy work for you so you won’t work up a sweat as you can set the motor to do as much (or as little) work as you want. Great for that commute to work!
Owning An Electric Trike Will Save You Money
One Time Purchase
There is no doubt that an electric trike is going to cost more than a traditional trike, the same way an electric bike costs more than a regular bicycle. This is really going to be a one time purchase, unless you are the kind of person who likes to regularly upgrade their ride, so after that first initial cost there are few ongoing costs making an etrike a cost effective alternative to a second car.
The daily operating costs for an electric trike for adults or an electric trike for seniors are relatively low as there is no need for licenses or permits, insurance or gas. On average it costs about $0.125 / 100km of riding on your electric trike, when compared to a car this is a significant cost savings.
Our electric trikes use brand name parts from Bafang, Shimano, Kenda, Tektro and more, so the everyday wear and tear on things like brakes, gears and tires can easily be addressed and replaced (if needed) with spare parts from your local bike shop.
Bye Bye Gas
Buying gas is probably the biggest ongoing expenses for running a car, and we all know that today’s gas prices are continually on the rise. With electric trike battery quality and performance continually improving year on year, and when paired with a suitable motor, the range you can get out of a single charge can be anywhere between 50-100km. With this kind of range available an etrike quickly becomes a cost effective alternative to a second car. No more expensive fill ups at the gas station!
Low Maintenance
One of the greatest things about riding an electric trike is that they are fairly low maintenance. Like with a traditional ebike, regular maintenance will help to keep your running costs down by extending the life of parts that wear the most and catching anything quickly that may require some preventative maintenance before needing replaced completely.
If your electric trike needs some work that you are unable to do yourself, in most cases a trip to your local bike shop will do the trick. By using standard components on our custom electric trike frames ensures that they can be quickly and easily replaced or repaired as needed.
No License or Insurance
An electric trike for adults, the same as an electric trike for seniors, falls under the same rules and regulations as regular two wheel bicycles and ebikes. No license or extra insurance is required, although you may want to check with your home insurance to see if your electric trike is covered. The standard road rules for bikes apply to riding an electric trike, so anywhere you can ride a bike you can ride a trike. Rules and regulations vary province by province so be sure to check with local rules and regulations if you are not sure.
Do The Electric Trike Math
Looking at a 3 year time period, let's take a look at approximately how much it will really cost to own and use an electric trike on a daily basis.
Let’s say you buy your electric trike for adults at $3750 and commute 60km to and from work daily which is equivalent to 15,600km per year or 46,800 km over three years. At a cost of about 12.5 cents per 100km this works out to about $58.50CAD in electricity costs over 3 years to recharge your battery. What about maintenance and repairs on top of that? You might have to replace a tire (or two) if you get a flat ($50) and maybe $150 per year for a service at your local bike shop. This works out to approximately $200 per year for parts and maintenance.
Environmentally Friendly
Who doesn’t want to do their part to help the environment? Even if it is just by changing one thing, like the chosen method of transport for your daily commute to work. By regularly riding an electric trike you will help save on gasoline consumption and associated carbon emission related pollution. At approximately $0.125 to travel up to 100k on an electric trike, even the act of re-charging your lithium-ion battery uses less energy per km than almost any other form of motorized or pedal assist transport. Regular use of an electric trike will help reduce your overall carbon footprint.
A recent US study showed that electric bikes are eighteen times more energy efficient than a 4x4 or SUV, thirteen times more efficient than a standard sedan and an almost equal impact on the environment as a traditional bike. Most of the carbon emissions generated daily are a result of short commuter trips to and from work, so switching to an electric trike for adults for these commutes would cut down on a large percentage of emissions and usage of fossil fuels, two of the key factors in environmental pollution.
Practical Alternative To A Car
There are many ways your electric trike is a practical alternative to a car. Your commute is likely to be quicker, and shorter in length due to the boost from the pedal assist motor. No more getting stuck in traffic. The ability to start and stop quickly makes an electric trike great for urban environments where you regularly have to stop at traffic lights or intersections. While they do have a wider footprint than a traditional bike with their dual rear wheels, their ability to turn on a very tight radius makes them easily maneuverable in and around traffic and other obstacles.
Throw in the added health benefits of getting regular low impact cardio exercise by regular riding and it is quickly apparent that an investment in an electric trike is a good one. Most models of electric trikes have the option to turn the motor completely off, which means you can turn your etrike into a traditional trike to get a bit more workout from your ride. The average daily commute to and from work on an electric trike will cost between 5-12.5 cents, depending on how far you ride. When compared to the same trip in a car your savings will quickly start to add up. If you do own a car (even a second car), you will be using it less the more you use your electric trike for things like errands, trips to the grocery store, visiting friends, and of course the daily commute. By driving less, you spend less on gasoline and maintenance so no matter how you look at it, an electric trike for adults is a great alternative to a second car.
The more you ride your electric trike, the more you will fall in love with it, and the more time you will spend outdoors getting exercise and fresh air. The added benefits of cargo carrying capacity makes it easy to jump on your electric trike instead of into your gas guzzling car to run errands, go shopping, commute to work or even just head out to visit friends and family.
