An American graduate student offers a short video on electric bicycles in China.
Seems to me that a motor takes the fun out of it. But I suppose it’s a helpful upgrade for the elderly. And the “fun” probably wears off after a few years if that’s your only mode of transportation.
Without elaborating on the topic, the graduate student says that Chinese cities are deemphasizing bicycle transportation in favor of cars. Supposedly the latter makes for a more “modern” city. To the contrary, I think the opposite is true; a city upgrades itself by becoming more cyclist friendly.
David Herron has a few more thoughts on the video.