Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
Sigh. E-bikes have been around for a couple of decades now and are still being treated like a guilty pleasure. Something to 'outgrow'. Something to be a bit ashamed of needing. It matters. Why? Because as long as WE treat e-bikes like some kind of illicit gateway drug to sloth and ruin, the e-bike and e-battery manufacturers can treat the e-biking public like outcast scum deserving of being exploited. Lithium ion cells are now in the $0.07/ea range. That's what Tesla and 'worthy' (laptop, auto, power tool) entities pay for them. E-battery makers pay $1.00/ea ...
Assuming this is a fact, do you think the battery makers may be paying more because they're purchasing in much smaller volume? Or do the Li cell manufacturers really base the price they charge on the reputation the end user enjoys online? Are you suggesting that the price of batteries would drop if people who ride motorized bicycles were only given more respect?