A watt hour is equal to 0.86 nutritional calories.
My estimate of 40 watt hours per mile converts to about 35 kcal.
Estimates of the energy taken to pedal a bike are about 30-40 kcal/mile.
That checks out!
1 kilowatt hour is equivalent to 860 kcal.
1 kilowatt hour from a coal power plant generates about 1.0-1.1 kg of CO2.
For a typical Western diet, studies suggest that the average emissions associated with food production and transportation can range from about 0.5 to 2.5 kg of CO2 per 1,000 kcal of food consumed. (0.4-2.1 kg of CO2 per 860 kcal)
The ebike generally has a smaller environmental footprint than the analog bike, as most sources of power produce less CO2 than coal power plants and most people eat more meat than necessary, putting them in the higher range of the food CO2 production range.
I wonder what the numbers are like in the context of someone’s total energy consumption. I guess cycling would still be much more efficient because it doubles as exercise.
TIL ebike riders don’t need food.
A watt hour is equal to 0.86 nutritional calories. My estimate of 40 watt hours per mile converts to about 35 kcal. Estimates of the energy taken to pedal a bike are about 30-40 kcal/mile. That checks out!
1 kilowatt hour is equivalent to 860 kcal.
1 kilowatt hour from a coal power plant generates about 1.0-1.1 kg of CO2.
For a typical Western diet, studies suggest that the average emissions associated with food production and transportation can range from about 0.5 to 2.5 kg of CO2 per 1,000 kcal of food consumed. (0.4-2.1 kg of CO2 per 860 kcal)
The ebike generally has a smaller environmental footprint than the analog bike, as most sources of power produce less CO2 than coal power plants and most people eat more meat than necessary, putting them in the higher range of the food CO2 production range.
That’s super cool to know!
I wonder what the numbers are like in the context of someone’s total energy consumption. I guess cycling would still be much more efficient because it doubles as exercise.