THE RISE OF E-BIKES
WHAT ARE E-BIKES?
Picture a regular bicycle, then add several electrical components to it like a motor, a battery, and a controller – all seamlessly integrated into the design. Now let’s see how it impacts riding.
Who Rides e-Bikes and Why?
Younger adults who want to replace car trips and make their commute easier, quicker, or cheaper.
Older adults and those with a physical limitation are motivated by effort reduction.
Parents who want to take their kids to school and run short errands.
The majority of riders are 40 to 70 years old, but 25 to 35 year-olds are adopting e-biking at a quick clip. Riders are generally educated and from median income families, but demographics are broadening. People e-bike for many reasons, but mainly for recreation, health, transportation or to run errands.
How are e-Bikes Driving Behavior Changes?
According to one survey among…
In 2014, Portland State University gave 150 Kaiser Permanente employees e-bikes to use for 10 weeks. Researchers found:
The number of people commuting to work by bike at least once a week more than doubled.
The number of people biking at least once a month for shopping or other errands doubled.
The number of people biking to visit friends or family at least once a week more than quadrupled.
