E-bikes and Transportation Policy: Insights from Early Adopters

Abstract

1 Electric bikes (e-bikes) are increasingly common in China, but are relatively rare in the U.S. To 2 further understand the potential market for and use of e-bikes in the U.S., this paper presents 3 findings from interviews with 28 e-bike owners in the Portland, Oregon region. The interviews 4 revealed several possible demographic markets for e-bikes that could expand the overall share of 5 the population bicycling: women, older adults, and people with physical limitations. In addition, 6 owners noted the ability to travel with relative ease longer distances and over hills and to arrive 7 at a destination, such as work, less sweaty or tired than with a regular bicycle. These features 8 may overcome some of the common barriers to bicycling. Most of the e-bike owners interviewed 9 were using their e-bikes to substitute for travel by either human-powered bicycles or traditional 10 motor vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.). Therefore, the e-bike should be viewed as one option to 11 address concerns over private vehicles contributing to health problems related to inactivity and 12 pollution and other public policy problems. Whether or not e-bikes need specific policies to 13 increase their adoption requires further research. The potential for conflict between e-bike and 14 regular bike riders due to speed differentials is a concern. Whether speed differentials will pose 15 a significant problem in the future will depend not only on the extent of adoption of e-bikes but 16 the characteristics of the riders. 17

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