Differences of Cycling Experiences and Perceptions between E-Bike and Bicycle Users in the United States
1
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, 311 John D. Tickle Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-2313, USA
2
Transportation Research and Education Center, Portland State University, 1900 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR 97201, USA
3
Bosch eBike Systems Americas, 12 Mauchly Unit E., Irvine, CA 92618, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2017, 9(9), 1662; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9091662
Received: 1 August 2017
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Revised: 1 September 2017
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Accepted: 14 September 2017
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Published: 19 September 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in an Urbanizing World: The Role of People)
E-bikes are bicycles that provide pedal-assistance to aid people in cycling. Because of the potential of promoting sustainable transportation, more attention has been focused on the e-bike market. This paper investigates the differences of the cycling experience and perceptions between e-bike and conventional bicycle users, using samples drawn from independent bicycle dealer customers. A total of 806 respondents in the United States took the on-line survey, including 363 e-bike-owning respondents. The results show that e-bikes play a more important role in utilitarian travel, such as commuting and running errands, compared to a conventional bicycle. Conventional bicycle-owning respondents use their bicycles more for recreation and exercise. Also, e-bike owners tend to bike longer distances and take more trips per week. Both e-bike respondents and bicycle respondents stated that improved health was a key factor for cycling, while Millennials and Generation X respondents cycle to save time and improve the environment. Finally, an ordered logit model is proposed for evaluating factors that influence interest in future e-bike ownership. Travel purpose, e-bike familiarity, annual household income, and education level are statistically significant factors in the model. These findings begin to provide insight and a profile of potential new markets for e-bikes in the United States.
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Keywords:
e-bike; conventional bicycle; difference; cycling experience and perception; online survey
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MDPI and ACS Style
Ling, Z.; Cherry, C.R.; MacArthur, J.H.; Weinert, J.X. Differences of Cycling Experiences and Perceptions between E-Bike and Bicycle Users in the United States. Sustainability 2017, 9, 1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9091662
AMA Style
Ling Z, Cherry CR, MacArthur JH, Weinert JX. Differences of Cycling Experiences and Perceptions between E-Bike and Bicycle Users in the United States. Sustainability. 2017; 9(9):1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9091662
Chicago/Turabian StyleLing, Ziwen, Christopher R. Cherry, John H. MacArthur, and Jonathan X. Weinert. 2017. "Differences of Cycling Experiences and Perceptions between E-Bike and Bicycle Users in the United States" Sustainability 9, no. 9: 1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9091662
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