The cycle paths are full of electrically assisted bicycles (VAE) and scooters.
In 2020 alone, 515,000 of the first and 614,000 of the seconds were sold in France.
Only, like a cell phone whose battery slips after a few years after recharging several hundred, all these soft mobility devices have a limited duration of effectiveness.
75% of batteries could be reconditioned
"Depending on the intensity of use, in professional or leisure mode, and the quality of the materials, the life of a battery does not exceed three to four years", indicates Anne-Sophie Caistiker, co-founder of Doctibike, specializing in repair or reconditioning. Depending on the condition and after a diagnosis, it will be decided to opt for one of the two options. The repair will consist in changing one or two elements (connectors or small components) without touching the lithium cells. Contrary to the reconditioning which will intervene on these very specific components which one also finds in an electronic cigarette or an electric car. For the first intervention, count around 50 €.The bill is saltier for the second - around 300 euros - but it remains less expensive anyway than the outright purchase of a new battery valued on average at 400 €.
Is the electric bicycle a source of pollution?
The nuanced answers from @ LauraWoj1 https://t.co/yatGPqD5i4
- Biclou (@Leparisienvelo) April 25, 2021
The solution is also beneficial for the environment since a study conducted for a large sports brand showed that 75% of batteries could be reconditioned but are not and join the waste cohort.
“Users may also find it impossible to change their battery simply because the model no longer exists on the market,” continues Anne-Sophie Caistiker.
In this case, repair or reconditioning take on their full dimension ”.
It is also a way to give your machine a second youth without being forced to go through the redemption box.
Read also Electric scooter rental: miracle or ecological mirage?
As bikes and scooters become obsolete, the recycling market is bound to grow. The Doctibike start-up, founded in 2014 in Villeurbanne in the suburbs of Lyon, has taken a position like a multitude of other players. The sector is being structured and presents "good development prospects over the next four years", assures the co-founder of the young shoot. It can constitute a breeding ground for jobs for young graduates in the electronics professions.