Towards Sweden’s transport climate target by substituting cars with e-bikes Understanding e-bike usage from a survey study
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Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Industrial ecology (MPTSE), MSc
Publicerad
2021
Författare
Kortenbach, Thijn
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
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Sammanfattning
Sweden’s transportation emissions, mostly attributed to passenger cars, are not
falling rapidly enough to reach its transport climate target. Car kilometers should be
reduced with 22% to reach this target. Cycling serves as an alternative for cars, but
cycling shares in Sweden are not as high as in the Netherlands, Denmark or Germany.
E-bikes might be able to substitute more car kilometers, as some of the constraints
often cited for cycling (e.g. distance, effort and sweatiness and transportation of
goods and children) can be overcome by e-bikes. The environmental potential of
e-bikes is largely dependent on the context which determines which mode e-bikes
are substituting. In this survey study, it was investigated which factors determine
e-bike usage. This was done by asking current Swedish e-bikers about their three
most recent trips, travel behavior, perceived advantages and benefits and individual
characteristics. It was found that the occurrence of a ’life-event’, a natural break-of habit,
could potentially be a strong motive to purchase an e-bike. More evidence of a
possible learning and novelty effect was found. Commuting trips were also identified
as a potential purchase motive, while a climate moral message could be an effective
marketing strategy to sell e-bikes, but not necessarily to reduce car usage. Perceived
advantages generally outweighted disadvantages and the risk of theft was classified as
the main barrier for further e-bike adoption in Sweden. Rural-living Sweden showed
large potential in terms of car substitution and thus potential environmental savings.
Preferably, people that currently not cycle should be targeted, while multiple car
owners showed elevated levels of covered distance. E-bikes were not hindered by
hills in contrast to conventional bikes. Weather influences on e-bike usage were
found to be low, but have likely been underestimated. Travel time was found to
be the only significant variable determining the modal choice in the discrete choice
model. Hence, investment costs might be more determinant for e-bike usage than
price measures like congestion charge and parking fees. Moreover, time-reducing
measures like direct cycling pathways for e-bikes could be effective to increase usage.
Only 22% of the e-bike trips replaced car trips in this study which is low compared to
earlier literature findings. However, a 16% reduction in car kilometers was calculated
after purchasing an e-bike. This outcome is uncertain, but if these would be in the
right order of magnitude, it would mean that e-bikes could be a major support in
reducing car kilometers and accelerate the road to sustainable transportation.