S73 · E01

E-Bikes: The Battle for Our Streets

Adrian Chiles investigates the extraordinary rise of electric bikes on our streets and what that means for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. He asks whether, despite their green credentials, they are a solution to our congested towns and cities or a new menace in need of tighter regulation. He discovers that some more powerful and faster e-bikes, while openly sold as commuter bikes, are illegal to ride on the road. Sales of e-bikes have boomed but, as they are crammed into the same space as pedestrians and other road users, councils and the police are struggling to cope with the e-bike revolution.