Experiment "Car-free life"

The status symbol car is increasingly crumbling. More and more people are asking themselves whether they really still need their own car. Today, there are car sharing, public transport, e-scooters and even one's own bicycle. Admittedly, most of the alternatives listed above are not available in the countryside. But even here there are people who dare and successfully master the experiment "car-free life".

Three good reasons to give up your own car

Climate protection: The climate debate should have reached everyone by now. Everyone can contribute to improving the environment. Doing without your own car and using emission-free means of transport more often is a very valuable contribution.
Save money: You save money by not owning a car, because the average monthly maintenance costs are higher compared to a car sharing subscription or a public transport ticket. The costs of owning your own car, calculated over a month, are usually just not perceived as being so present. To get an idea of the monthly cost of owning a car, you can use the ADAC car cost calculator. You will be surprised that the amount is much higher than the sum of the monthly costs for public transport, car sharing and cycling.
Strengthen your health: For office workers in particular, cycling is a counterbalance to the daily sedentary activity at work. Besides the obvious effects of more exercise, you will also be much more balanced, alert and satisfied during the working day.

Experience reports

We could list many more positive aspects, but we'd rather share the experiences of two families who already manage their daily lives without a car of their own.

Stefan Caliandro with family

With the birth of their first child, the family faced the question of how to get around in the future. The existing car would have had to be exchanged for a new and larger car. During these considerations, however, it became apparent that the car was parked more often than it was driven, which moved the family not to buy a new car at first, but to test alternatives. Today, they go about their daily lives using a combination of public transport, cycling, car sharing and walking.

Even after 5 years, a move to a more rural region and a longer commute to work, there is still no car. In the meantime, however, Stefan has acquired a Pendix eDrive for the existing bicycle, which supports him in transporting the growing children and doing the weekly shopping.

Stefan on the advantages of living car-free, especially by commuting to work: "With cycling, I have a deep relaxation and sports programme included. With public transport, I can read or indulge my thoughts. Only with the car do I use the same resources that I need for my job."

Dirk and Linda from Belgium

The two Belgians have been conducting an experiment since 2021: They want to use their own car as little as possible and decide at the end of the year whether they still need it at all. Previously managing without electric assistance, they now use an e-bike with Pendix drive and a trailer for transporting larger loads for their daily challenges. They report on their experiment in their blog.

Linda initially had the usual prejudices that one is less sporty on an e-bike, but in May she found the opposite to be true: „The E-bikes are the perfect addition to our Challenge 2021 with even an unexpected benefit. While we still use our pushbikes for the normal shopping, we're also cycling a lot more than before […] Although we were eating chips, having coffee with cakes and licking ice creams, my bodyweight dropt for the first time under 83 kg for the last 25 years. Thank you E-bike for making me move even more.”

HERE you can go to the blog.

Pictures of Linda and Dirk - You can find even more on their blog: https://www.dilistuff.com/blog

Pendix as reliable support for the implementation of your plans

Both testimonials show that the hurdles to living without a car of one's own are lower thanks to the support on the bicycle. Longer distances and the transport of trailers including weekly shopping or children are no longer a physical challenge. At the same time, you protect the environment and save money. The newfound satisfaction motivates people to stick to their plans and to leave the car behind more often or to do without it altogether.

Find out here whether a Pendix fits your bike:

To the installation requirements