THE BIKE ADVISER PRESS RELEASE:

Americans Could Save Up to 44K Metric Tons of CO2 Every Day If They Replaced Only 8% of Their Short Car Trips (1-5 Miles) with E-bikes

The New Bike Adviser research:

  1. Reveals top carbon-emitting states in the US for short car trips,
  2. Ranks US states by e-bike potential,
  3. Reveals the amount of CO2 saved in each US state if 8% or 50% of short car trips would be replaced by e-bikes.

Read FULL REPORT here

The aim of this report is to quantify and better understand the potential of increasing e-bike uptake in the U.S and the advantages that may accrue as a result. Our research arm has used a small portion of the data to demonstrate a very straightforward way U.S states and cities can drastically reduce congestion and deliver environmental and economic benefits.

Top Carbon Emitting States in the US for Short Car Trips

America’s 276 million registered vehicles make U.S consumers heavily dependent on their cars as their primary means of transportation, generating 551,940 metric tons of CO2 daily, at a 5-mile range!

States like California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, and Massachusetts are states that produce the most CO2 for short car trips in the U.S and they are responsible for over half of the country’s total carbon emissions, which is nearly equal to the combined emissions of Croatia, Denmark and Portugal or all of Belgium’s emissions. 

Whereas lowest carbon-emitting states in the US for short car trips are Alaska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Vermont, South Dakota, Montana, Washington D.C., Delaware, Hawai, and Rhode Island.

The largest contributors of CO2 in the U.S (in percentages)

The US States Ranked By E-Bike Potential & CO2 Saved in Each State if 8% or 50% of Short Car Trips Would Be Replaced by E-bikes

Analyzing and calculating thousands of data points from CENSUS and US Environmental Protection Agency, we ranked the U.S states where e-bikes have the most potential to replace car trips with e-bikes:

United States of America / States Trips 1-5 Miles CO2 MT Emitted CO2 MT Reduced with 8% Adoption Rate # of Smartphones Charged # of Return Plane Flights NY - LDN # of Trees To Sequester This CO2 for 10 Yrs.
Alaska 51.5% 1.1K 88 10M 96 1.4K
Alabama 49.5% 6.9K 550 66M 599 9K
Arkansas 51% 4.2K 336 40M 366 5.5K
Arizona 50.8% 9.7K 774 94M 844 12K
California 55.2% 51.3K 4,078 49M 4,442 67K
Colorado 52.7% 11K 873 106M 951 14K
Connecticut 57.5% 6.8K 545 66M 594 9K
Washington D.C 64.7% 1.7K 137 16M 150 2.2K
Delaware 56% 1.7K 137 16M 149 2.2K
Florida 57.2% 32.4K 2,575 313M 2,805 42K
Georgia 52.6% 15.9K 1,263 153M 1,376 20K
Hawaii 57.1% 1.8K 146 17M 159 2.4K
Idaho 53.8% 5.8K 463 56M 504 7.6K
Illinois 50.4% 2.4K 191 23M 209 3.1K
Indiana 57% 23.5K 1,869 227M 2,037 30K
Iowa 55.8% 13.4K 1,064 129M 1,159 17K
Kansas 57.2% 5.6K 450 54M 490 7.4K
Kentucky 52.2% 8.3K 665 80M 724 10K
Louisiana 53.5% 7.8K 621 75M 676 10K
Maine 58.6% 15K 1,266 153M 1,379 20K
Maryland 57% 11K 883 107M 962 14K
Massachusetts 50.8% 2.7K 216 26M 235 3.5K
Michigan 56.1% 19.1K 1,520 184M 1,656 25K
Minnesota 54% 10.4K 826 100M 900 13K
Missouri 53.3% 10K 796 96M 868 13K
Mississippi 48.8% 4K 320 38M 348 5.2K
Montana 52.6% 1.6K 130 15M 142 2.1K
North Carolina 54.4% 18.6K 1,484 180M 1,617 24K
North Dakota 54.6% 1.2K 103 12M 112 1.6K
Nebraska 55.7% 3.5K 285 34M 310 4.7K
New Hampshire 53.5% 2.8K 230 27M 250 3.7K
New Jersey 56.9% 15.7K 1,253 152M 1,365 20K
New Mexico 53.6% 3.8K 306 37M 334 5K
Nevada 53.7% 4.7K 377 45M 411 6.2K
New York 55.8% 39.7K 3,157 384M 3,439 52K
Ohio 57.4% 22.9K 1,822 221M 1,984 30K
Oklahoma 54% 6.1K 485 59M 528 8K
Oregon 53.7% 6.7K 539 65M 587 8.9K
Pennsylvania 56.7% 24.4K 1,939 235M 2,112 32K
Rhode Island 61% 2.1K 171 20M 186 2.8K
South Carolina 53.4% 8.3K 662 80M 721 10K
South Dakota 53.2% 1.5K 120 14M 131 1.9K
Tennessee 53.7% 11.8K 942 114M 1,026 15K
Texas 54.2% 41.1K 3,267 397M 3,558 54K
Utah 54.6% 5.2K 420 51M 458 6.9K
Virginia 55.5% 15.7K 1,248 151M 1,359 20K
Vermont 49.1% 1.2K 101 12M 110 1.6K
Washington 51.5% 10.9K 867 105M 945 14K
Wisconsin 55.6% 11.7K 936 113M 1,019 15K
West Virginia 48.8% 2.8K 227 27M 248 3.7K
Wyoming 57.3% 1.1K 91 11M 99 1.5K
United States of America / States Trips 1-5 Miles CO2 MT Emitted CO2 MT Reduced with 50% Adoption Rate # of Smartphones Charged # of Return Plane Flights NY - LDN # of Trees To Sequester This CO2 for 10 Yrs.
Alaska 51.5% 1.1K 549 66M 598 9K
Alabama 49.5% 6.9K 3,439 418M 3,746 56K
Arkansas 51.0% 4.2K 2,100 255M 2,288 34K
Arizona 50.8% 9.7K 4,840 588M 5,272 80K
California 55.2% 51K 25,488 3B 27,764 421K
Colorado 52.7% 11K 5,457 663M 5,944 90K
Connecticut 57.5% 6.8K 3,409 414M 3,713 56K
Washington D.C 64.7% 1.7K 860 104M 937 14K
Delaware 56% 1.7K 855 104M 931 14K
Florida 57.2% 32.4K 16,094 1.9B 17,531 266K
Georgia 52.6% 15.9K 7,893 960M 8,598 130K
Hawaii 57.1% 1.8K 912 110M 994 15K
Idaho 53.8% 5.8K 2,894 352M 3,153 47K
Illinois 50.4% 2.4K 1,199 145M 1,306 19K
Indiana 57% 23.5K 11,686 1.4B 12,729 193K
Iowa 55.8% 13.4K 6,649 808M 7,243 109K
Kansas 57.2% 5.6K 2,810 341M 3,061 46K
Kentucky 52.2% 8.3K 4,154 505M 4,525 68K
Louisiana 53.5% 7.8K 3,881 472M 4,228 64K
Maine 58.6% 15.9K 7,910 962M 8,616 130K
Maryland 57% 11K 5,521 671M 6,014 91K
Massachusetts 50.8% 2.7K 1,350 164M 1,471 22K
Michigan 56.1% 19.1K 9,500 1B 10,348 157K
Minnesota 54% 10.4K 5,162 627M 5,623 85K
Missouri 53.3% 10K 4,978 605M 5,422 82K
Mississippi 48.8% 4K 1,998 243M 2,177 33K
Montana 52.6% 1.6K 813 98M 885 13K
North Carolina 54.4% 18.6K 9,277 1B 10,105 153K
North Dakota 54.6% 1.2K 641 78M 699 10K
Nebraska 55.7% 3.5K 1,781 216M 1,940 29K
New Hampshire 53.5% 2.8K 1,435 174M 1,563 23K
New Jersey 56.9% 15.7K 7,829 952M 8,528 129K
New Mexico 53.6% 3.8K 1,914 232M 2,085 31K
Nevada 53.7% 4.7K 2,358 286M 2,568 38K
New York 55.8% 39.7K 19,733 2.4B 21,495 326K
Ohio 57.4% 22.9K 11,385 1.3B 12,402 188K
Oklahoma 54.0% 6.1K 3,032 368M 3,302 50K
Oregon 53.7% 6.7K 3,368 409M 3,669 55K
Pennsylvania 56.7% 24.4K 12,119 1.4B 13,202 200K
Rhode Island 61.0% 2.1K 1,067 129M 1,162 17K
South Carolina 53.4% 8.3K 4,137 503M 4,506 68K
South Dakota 53.2% 1.5K 752 91M 819 12K
Tennessee 53.7% 11.8K 5,885 715M 6,411 97K
Texas 54.2% 41K 20,417 2.4B 22,240 337K
Utah 54.6% 5.2K 2,627 319M 2,862 43K
Virginia 55.5% 15.7K 7,799 948M 8,495 128K
Vermont 49.1% 1.2K 631 76M 688 10K
Washington 51.5% 10.9K 5,420 659M 5,904 89K
Wisconsin 55.6% 11.7K 5,849 711M 6,371 96K
West Virginia 48.8% 2.8K 1,421 172M 1,547 23K
Wyoming 57.3% 1.1K 569 69M 620 9.4K

On a national level, 55% of Car Trips in the U.S Are Less Than 5 Miles. And if Americans replaced 50% of their short-distance car trips with e-bikes, we would save 273K metric tons of CO2 every day, which is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 4.5 million tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Top 5 States for E-bike Potential

Washington D.C, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Ohio are the top 5 states for e-bike potential with >57% of their car trips being up to 5 miles.They could benefit the most from e-biking due to their relatively short-distance trips that could be switched from cars to e-bikes.

Switching from cars to e-bikes, these states together would save our country 2,753 metric tons of CO2 every day at an 8% adoption rate. This is equivalent to CO2 emissions from 334 million smartphones charged.

Washington D.C has the highest proportion of short-distance trips in the US: 64% of trips are less than 5 miles. If only 8% percent of these short trips are replaced with e-bikes would save DC 137 metric tons of CO2 daily, the equivalent amount of CO2 released by 150 return flights from London to New York.

The Country's Biggest CO2 Emitters Rank Below the Top 10

It’s no surprise that large and heavily populated states rank lower in the list, but they’re also the country’s hotbed for CO2 emissions. Targeting the big polluters will help generate greater CO2 savings. While California (ranked 21st), Texas (25th ), New York (ranked 16th) have lesser 0–5-mile trips (55%,54% and 55% respectively) than DC or Rhode Island (both over 61%), they are states famous for their love affair with cars and products of high CO2 emissions.

For instance, California leads all fifty U.S states in CO2 emissions from transport. In fact, at 51,370 metric tons of CO2 emitted by cars every day in California, D.C doesn’t even come close. If only 8% of car trips in California were to be replaced with e-bikes, our country would save 4,078 metric tons of CO2 every day, enough to power 496 million smartphones. This is almost equal to the combined CO2 emissions saved in D.C, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Wyoming and Ohio together.

To review the full Bike Adviser E-bike Potential in the U.S report, including complete rankings of states that produce the most CO2 for short trips, states ranked by e-bike potential & CO2 we could save, please visit: https://thebikeadviser.com/how-much-co2-can-ebikes-save/

About The Bike Adviser

Bike Adviser is a bike-related web publication which is in a dogged pursuit to showcase the beauty of cycling and to get more people hop on two wheels. The goal is to deliver the world’s best biking advice through meticulously curated posts and detailed buyer guides. We do this by working closely with our team of experienced riders and writers who just have a knack for providing all the information you need when buying cycling products. 

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