2017/07/13 by S Cairns, Frauke Behrendt, David Raffo +2 · 1 voice · 4 citations
Social Sciences · Engineering · #Urban Transport and Accessibility #Transportation Planning and Optimization #Transportation and Mobility Innovations
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.tra.2017.03.007
openalex publication_date 2017/07/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
This paper reports on a review of the European literature about the impacts of having an electrically-assisted bike available to use, together with results from a trial in the UK city of Brighton, where 80 employees were loaned an electrically-assisted bike for a 6–8 week period. In the Brighton trial, three-quarters of those who were loaned an e-bike used them at least once a week. Across the sample as a whole, average usage was in the order of 15–20 miles per week, and was accompanied by an overall reduction in car mileage of 20%. At the end of the trial, 38% participants expected to cycle more in the future, and at least 70% said that they would like to have an e-bike available for use in the future, and would cycle more if this was the case. This is consistent with the results of the European literature which shows that when e-bikes are made available, they get used; that a proportion of e-bike trips typically substitutes for car use; and that many people who take part in trials become interested in future e-bike use, or cycling more generally.