How Germans are switching from Car to an E-bike

The programme was made in the Switzerland. Switzerland and Norway are the only two European countries where all the energy for communities (except for cars) is the hydro-power. In Norway, the HVAC at homes/offices are fully electric. The kitchen range is always electric there. A decent Norwegian citizen has also a wood-stove hidden under their staircase, just in case.

The Norwegian boom in electric cars is the fact. There are over 300,000 electric cars in the 5-million nation. Norway is rich. Norway has the hydro-power. Electric cars are partly sponsored by the State, numerous benefits are granted to EV owners; until some time, electric cars were allowed on dedicated bus/taxi lanes (not sure if that's still actual). A vast network of charging stations was built there. On contrary, having an ICE car in Norway is very expensive. With a purchase of a luxury ICE car, the registration fee itself could be as expensive as 100% of the value of the car!

Norway and Switzerland are non-full members of the EU. The e-bike laws are pretty relaxed there.

Germany, an 80-million nation is the biggest European e-bike market with over 4 million e-bikes there. Bosch, Brose, Haibike, Riese & Mueller to name only a few. Yet my observations from Berlin are interesting. In the city, the most of commuters were using traditional bikes. The second most popular vehicle is e-scooter which you can easily rent. Germany is the first European country to define e-scooter law (Summer 2019). E-bikes are easily rentable there (use the Uber app) but are not impressive very much.
 
Be careful there Robie. The Teslas are silent. Once, I was day-dreaming on a walk and might have had a collision with an EV I could not hear. Luckily, Norwegian drivers are responsible. The guy stopped in time. There is the Akershus Castle in Oslo, on a walk to/from the posh restaurant area of Aker Brygge. Virtually all the cars parked around down the hill are electric.

The picture: The White Night on June 17th, 10:46 p.m. The parking lot I mentioned is behind the large ferry-ship. The view from Aker Brygge.

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To be precise: I'm for the nuclear power. The Swedish understand it well.

I think Nuke Power should be part of the overall energy grid if we are serious about getting off coal and fossil fuel dependance. I don't consider it as a political position, simply a way to solve a big problem. Think of all the charging stations that would benifit! "Save the Charging Stations" :)
 
There is some irony in the fact that in case Norway experiences electricity deficit, they have to import the "nuclear" power from Sweden...
Besides, the Swedish industry runs on electricity. I was shocked seeing a large chemical plant totally electricity powered, no steam there. Also, I was shown a complex of several chemical plants near to Middlesbrough UK. All of them powered by a single modern nuclear reactor.
 
ElektroRad is my favorite ebike magazine, I have to use Google translate to read the articles but the photography is excellent and they always review dozens of bikes every issue.
 
As for Norway, it prefers to export its pollution
True, but Norway and Switzerland were "hydroelectric" from the beginning of the 20 c. Norwegian oil & gas boom began in 1960s only.
Think why the Nazi production of heavy water was based in Rjukan, Norway (the home of Norsk Hydro) during the WW2.
 
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