For many years the bicycle industry enjoyed a ‘free ride’ when it came to sustainability. The emission free character of cycling got all attention. Along with the positive impact of bikes when they replace cars and other more polluting forms of mobility, Ampler Bikes wants to advocate for responsibility in resource efficiency. For that reason, Ampler made this Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) report as transparent as possible in order to raise awareness about the environmental impact of the production and the supply chain.

Ampler Bikes makes carbon footprint of its e-bike production transparent

LCA stands for Life Cycle Assessment or Life Cycle Analysis. It is a method to calculate and assess the environmental footprint of products in a quantitative way. Guided by the numbers, companies can identify where to focus their efforts, find ways to reduce emissions and be more efficient.

Study details

Ampler reports that their Stellar causes approximately 10% less greenhouse gas emissions than an average e-bike of 25 kg. This first LCA does not represent the full impact of running the business, such as the company’s showrooms and offices. The production of the frame causes the highest impact of all parts in the production phase.

Remarkably, the biggest impact comes from the use phase, particularly the production of spare parts and the use of electricity. Other key impact drivers for carbon footprint include energy-intensive metals, air freight of components, carbon-intensive grids for manufacturing and the burning off of certain types of waste such as tyres.

Carbon footprint

Ampler reports that the carbon footprint of its model Stellar is 815 kg CO2 equivalents, calculated from raw material extraction to disposal. The numbers between companies are not comparable due to differences in carbon accounting methodologies used. In the Ampler study the results from all 18 impact categories are made available, with more focus on global warming, mineral resource scarcity and marine ecotoxicity.