The car-free lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular due to issues such as global warming, traffic jams, traffic jams or health benefits. With our tips you will find out how you can live a life without owning a car.
The bicycle existed before the car and outlasted many other technical innovations. Regardless of whether it's for reasons of environmental protection, the love for cycling or the desire for a healthy lifestyle - many people want to live without a car.
Regarding the climate crisis, it's not completely unreasonable to feel the need to simply leave the car at home and switch to a bicycle.
Is Life Without a Car Really Cheaper?
We can answer this question with "yes". The purchase and maintenance costs for a car are very expensive. It's not just the price of the vehicle itself which is high. There are also fuel costs, insurance, parking fees, vehicle taxes and costs for regular inspections in the workshop that you need to cover.
The price of a bike can be as low or as high as you like. However, the maintenance costs are very low. A clear plus for the bike!
Anyway, if you're concerned about living without your car entirely, we recommend commuting by bike first.
Where You Live is Crucial
The majority of the population lives in cities, suburbs or small towns. These regions are often densely populated and are characterized by a flourishing economy. Cities usually invest huge amounts of money in expanding the local infrastructure to enable the proximity to work. This means that residents can live and work in the area.
If the distance between home and work is longer, this is more difficult. Of course, it's easier to live car-free if you can use a variety of alternative mobility options such as regular buses and trains, e-scooters, leasing bikes etc. The weather shouldn't be ignored either.
Walk or Ride a Bike?
If you forego your car, you'll notice how many amenities there are in your local area. In many cases, bakeries, doctor's offices or grocery stores are located within a kilometre radius.
Our Tips for a Car-Free Life
It's understandable that transitioning to a car-free life can be a big challenge at first... especially if you have children or rely on a car due to the distance to work. That's why we have a few tips for you.
- Have your groceries delivered. For many households, the car is essential for transporting large and heavy purchases such as furniture or household appliances home.
- Rent a car if you really need it. Admittedly, the world we live in has not yet reached its “bicycle peak”. That's why car sharing models or using rental cars offer good alternatives if you really can't do without a car in certain situations. At least you'll still get around cheaper compared to driving your own car all year round.
- Carpool. If your family or friends live nearby, they will probably be happy to help you if you ever need a car.
Our Checklist for Choosing the Right Bike to Replace Your Car
If you decide to live a car-free life, your new bike should meet a few requirements. Keep the following points in mind.
- Use: If you plan to take your children to kindergarten or do some grocery shopping, you' ll need a bike with a luggage rack or trailer attachment.
- The journey is the destination: Do you want/need to carry your bike bike up the stairwell regularly or do you get on the train with it? Weight plays an important role here.
- Bike or e-bike: Do you live in a region where there are uphill and downhill climbs? Then you should think about investing in an e-bike.
