Search Results (16)

The growing popularity of Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs), such as e-scooters, has revolutionized urban mobility by offering compact, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly transportation solutions. However, safety concerns, including inadequate infrastructure, poor protective measures, and high accident rates, remain critical challenges. This paper presents the design and development of an innovative self-balancing microvehicle under the H2020 LEONARDO project, which aims to address these challenges through advanced engineering and user-centric design. The vehicle combines features of monowheels and e-scooters, integrating cutting-edge technologies to enhance safety, stability, and usability. The design adheres to European regulations, including Germany’s eKFV standards, and incorporates user preferences identified through representative online surveys of 1500 PLEV users. These preferences include improved handling on uneven surfaces, enhanced signaling capabilities, and reduced instability during maneuvers. The prototype features a lightweight composite structure reinforced with carbon fibers, a high-torque motorized front wheel, and multiple speed modes tailored to different conditions, such as travel in pedestrian areas, use by novice riders, and advanced users. Braking tests demonstrate deceleration values of up to 3.5 m/s², comparable to PLEV market standards and exceeding regulatory minimums, while smooth acceleration ramps ensure rider stability and safety. Additional features, such as identification plates and weight-dependent motor control, enhance compliance with local traffic rules and prevent misuse. The vehicle’s design also addresses common safety concerns, such as curb navigation and signaling, by incorporating large-diameter wheels, increased ground clearance, and electrically operated direction indicators. Future upgrades include the addition of a second rear wheel for enhanced stability, skateboard-like rear axle modifications for improved maneuverability, and hybrid supercapacitors to minimize fire risks and extend battery life. With its focus on safety, regulatory compliance, and rider-friendly innovations, this microvehicle represents a significant advancement in promoting safe and sustainable urban mobility. Full article

A comprehensive roadmap for advancing Electric Micromobility (EMM) systems addressing the fragmented and scarce information available in the field is defined as a transformative solution for urban transportation, targeting short-distance trips with compact, lightweight vehicles under 350 kg and maximum speeds of 45 km/h, such as bicycles, e-scooters, and skateboards, which offer flexible, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional transportation, easing congestion and promoting sustainable urban mobility ecosystems. This review aims to guide researchers by consolidating key technical insights and offering a foundation for future exploration in this domain. It examines critical components of EMM systems, including electric motors, batteries, power converters, and control strategies. Likewise, a comparative analysis of electric motors, such as PMSM, BLDC, SRM, and IM, highlights their unique advantages for micromobility applications. Battery technologies, including Lithium Iron Phosphate, Nickel Manganese Cobalt, Nickel-Cadmium, Sodium-Sulfur, Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion, are evaluated with a focus on energy density, efficiency, and environmental impact. The study delves deeply into power converters, emphasizing their critical role in optimizing energy flow and improving system performance. Furthermore, control techniques like PID, fuzzy logic, sliding mode, and model predictive control (MPC) are analyzed to enhance safety, efficiency, and adaptability in diverse EMM scenarios by using cutting-edge semiconductor devices like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) in well-known configurations, such as buck, boost, buck–boost, and bidirectional converters to ensure great efficiency, reduce energy losses, and ensure compact and reliable designs. Ultimately, this review not only addresses existing gaps in the literature but also provides a guide for researchers, outlining future research directions to foster innovation and contribute to the development of sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly urban transportation systems. Full article

The rapid spread of micromobility vehicles such as bicycles and electric scooters poses new challenges to urban transportation systems, particularly in terms of road safety and infrastructure integration. This study investigates the driving behavior of micromobility users at a mini-roundabout, focusing on their speed profiles and their position within the lane during the entry, circulation, and exit phases. A structured recruitment process was used to select 20 participants with previous micromobility experience. Participants performed crossing maneuvers at a mini-roundabout in Gravina di Catania, Italy, which were monitored using drone footage and analyzed with tracking software to extract trajectories and speed data. The results show significant differences between e-scooter and bicycle users, with bicycles showing less speed variability, especially during the crossing and exit phases, while e-scooters showed greater variability, especially during the entry and exit phases. The results highlight the influence of vehicle stability and user posture on riding behavior and emphasize the need for infrastructure adaptations to increase safety. Mini-roundabouts designed for moderate speed are identified as a promising solution to improve the coexistence of micromobility and motor vehicles. This research identifies key differences in speed profiles and behavioral patterns between e-scooter and bicycle users, offering actionable insights and recommendations for safer and more efficient urban infrastructure. These contributions provide valuable guidance for urban planners and policymakers in promoting safer and more sustainable urban mobility. Full article

E-scooters have emerged as a popular micromobility option for short trips, with many cities embracing shared e-scooters to enhance convenience for travelers and reduce reliance on automobiles. Despite their rising popularity, there is a lack of clear understanding of how user preferences and adoption practices vary by location. This study aims to explore user and non-user attitudes towards e-scooter use in diverse urban settings. A meta-analysis of data from three surveys (N = 1197) conducted in Washington, D.C., Miami, FL, and Los Angeles, CA, was performed to compare e-scooter users and non-user profiles, mode choice factors, and attitudes and preferences towards e-scooter use. Additionally, machine learning (ML) and SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis were utilized to identify influential factors in predicting e-scooter use in each city. The results reveal that the majority of e-scooter users are 25 to 39 of age, male, with higher income and a bachelor’s degree, and 92% possess a driver’s license. Significant differences in attitudes between e-scooter users and non-users highlight the complexity of perceptions towards e-scooter usage. The ML model indicates that employment status negatively impacts the prediction of e-scooter users, while factors such as living without a car and using non-motorized modes positively influence e-scooter use. Educational background is a significant e-scooter mode choice factor in Washington, D.C. and Miami, whereas attitudinal questions on car and technology usage are influential in Los Angeles. These findings provide valuable insights into the factors shaping e-scooter adoption, informing urban transportation planning and policymaking and enhancing understanding of shared micromobility and its impact on urban mobility. Full article

The safety of cyclists, e-scooters, and micromobility devices in urban environments remains a critical concern in sustainable urban planning. A primary factor affecting this safety is the lateral passing distance (LPD) or dynamic proximity of motor vehicles overtaking micromobility riders. Minimum passing distance laws, where motorists are required to maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 m when passing a cyclist, are difficult to enforce due to the difficulty in determining the exact distance between a moving vehicle and a cyclist. Existing systems reported in the literature are invariably used for research and require manual intervention to record passing vehicles. Further, due to the dynamic and noisy environment on the road, the collected data also need to be manually post-processed to remove errors and false positives, thus making such systems impractical for use by cyclists. This study aims to address these two concerns by providing an automated and robust framework, integrating a low-cost, small single-board computer with a range sensor and a camera, to measure and analyze vehicle–cyclist passing distance and speed. Preliminary deployments in Singapore have demonstrated the system’s efficacy in capturing high-resolution data under varied traffic conditions. Our setup, using a Raspberry Pi 4, LiDAR distance sensor, a small camera, and an automated data clustering technique, had a high success rate for correctly identifying the number of close vehicle passes for distances between 1 and 1.5 m. The insights garnered from this integrated setup promise not only a deeper understanding of interactions between motor vehicles and micromobility devices, but also a roadmap for data-driven urban safety interventions. Full article

An influx of new mobility trends such as fare-free bus transportation, ride hail, and e-scooter services to improve access and affordability of transportation on campus may be shifting the travel behavior of campus patrons such that it affects their long-term health outcomes. The main research questions explored in this study are as follows: (1) why university patrons choose new modes of travel?; (2) what existing mode did the new modes of travel replace for the riders?; and (3) is the average body mass index (BMI) of users primarily using non-motorized transit options lower than those using motorized or both (referred to as hybrid) for on-campus travel needs? An online survey was administered to a campus community (n = 3309) including students (48%), faculty (15%), and staff (37%) in fall of 2018 when fare-free bus transportation and e-scooters became available on campus, and a gradual increase in ridership of ride-hail services was simultaneously observed. This study found that campus patrons were more inclined to replace active modes of travel with affordable and accessible modes of transportation, thereby substituting their walking or biking routine with app-based transportation services. The mean BMI among travelers who chose motorized transportation modes was more than active travelers, and the BMI was statistically significantly associated with age, gender, race, class standing (undergraduate/graduate), and residence on/off campus. This study concludes with suggestions to prevent substitution of active with non-active transport choices and provides policy guidelines to increase awareness on achieving physical activity levels through active modes of travel for university patrons. Full article

E-scooters aspire to provide flexibility to their users while covering the first/last mile of a multimodal trip. Yet, their dual travel behavior, i.e., utilizing both vehicles’ roadways and pedestrians’ sidewalks, creates new challenges to transport modelers. This study aims to model e-scooter riding behavior in comparison to traditional urban transport modes, namely car and walking. The new modeling approach is based on perceived safety that is influenced by the road environment and affects routing behavior. An ordinal logistic model of perceived safety is applied to classify road links in a 7-point Likert scale. The parametric utility function combines only three basic parameters: time, cost, and perceived safety. First/last mile routing choices are modeled in a test road network developed in Athens, Greece, utilizing the shortest-path algorithm. The proposed modeling approach proved to be useful, as the road environment of an urban area is heterogenous in terms of safety perceptions. Indeed, the model outputs show that the flexibility of e-scooters is limited in practice by their low-perceived safety. To avoid unsafe road environments where motorized traffic dominates, e-scooter riders tend to detour. This decision-making process tool can identify road network discontinuities. Nevertheless, their significance regarding routing behavior should be further discussed. Full article

E-scooters as a new form of mobility are gaining more and more popularity. This popularity results from the flexibility of this mode of transport, but above all from the positive impact on the natural environment through the much higher energy efficiency of an e-scooter compared to a motor vehicle (according to the literature the rate is 2 km per kWh equivalent for a motor vehicle and the range is 90–100 km per kWh in the case of an e-scooter). This paper introduces a discussion on the future development of an energy-efficient electric scooter sharing system based on stakeholder analysis methods. The implementation of the e-scooter sharing system involves linking several areas of human activity, including social activity. This, in turn, relates to the interactions and building of relationships with entities, particularly those influencing the provision of services and their effects. The large number of entities and the complexity of the relations between them make it a challenge both to identify stakeholders in the development of the public e-scooter system and to indicate their roles in shaping the sustainable development strategy for urban mobility. The following study was based on the methodological foundations of stakeholder theory and social network analyses. The main research objective of the article is to identify and assign to different groups the stakeholders influencing the sustainable development of energy-efficient e-scooter sharing systems based on Polish cities. An evaluation was carried out using expert methods with a stakeholder analysis, based on matrix and mapping methods, and with the MACTOR application. Relationships and cooperation suggestions were established for each of the stakeholder groups, which could become an important part of the strategic approach to supporting public transport service providers and organizers, as well as allowing for further reductions in energy consumption in the city by introducing such services on a large scale. The cooperation of the entities participating in the implementation of bike-sharing services can contribute to their greater sustainable development and assurance using the new mobility modes, which consume less energy and at the same time make the city energy-efficient. Full article

In recent years, the mobility sector is undergoing a revolution, which is resulting also into a worldwide spread of light electric vehicles, such as electric scooters and bicycles. The increasing public concern about environmental problems further feeds this revolution. Electric-bicycles (or e-bikes) are a new trend which fits different riders’ needs. In fact, they offer extended range and ease of use, allowing riders to travel in urban centres, but also to take longer trips. E–bikes are reliable, easy to ride, affordable, and they help people live and travel a little greener, with a great benefit for their health. Many Companies (such as Brose, Bafang, Bosch and Shimano) developed performing e-bike motor drives. However, there is not a detailed general procedure to help the choice and design of electric bikes, in particular concerning the electric machine. This review focuses on the analysis of different motors for e-bike application. First, the e-bike system state of art is presented. The pedal-assist and power-on-demand e-bike system typologies are presented, together with the most popular parallel configuration and the less common series configuration. Further on, the environmental resistances are analysed for a traditional bicycle system and then the force balance is extended to the electric vehicle example. The most common Lithium-ion battery and the battery management system state of art is discussed, presenting design schemes and typical performances. Concerning the electrical machine, some electromagnetic design approaches are described, together with some data on commercial motors. Finite element analysis of a common motor model is carried out and some experimental tests are presented to highlight their capabilities. Different control strategies are compared, including innovative solutions and new trends. Full article

Shared micromobility is a new phenomenon being observed in urban transport. It is a response to the problems associated with congestion and environmental pollution. Small electric vehicles such as e-scooters are highly suitable for crowded city centres, often providing an alternative to private motor vehicles or public transport, and serve as a good first- and last-mile transport option. While they have become a feature of sustainable transport systems in cities, their impact on the environment often depends on the services offered by operators of this mode of personal transport. There are many tools available to measure the quality of transport, e-services and shared mobility services. However, no specific mechanism has been designed for vehicles in the field of shared e-scooters (research gap). The aim of the article is to verify whether the three dimensions identified by the authors: mobile application functions, device features, and customer service are valid for examining the quality of shared e-micromobility factors on the example of e-scooters. Based on the obtained results, the authors created the MMQUAL (MicroMobility QUALity) model, which accurately describes the quality of the studied phenomenon. The results of the study can serve as a platform for researchers interested in further exploring the issue and improving the proposed model. They may also be of commercial value to operators, who could use this tool to boost the competitiveness of their services by enhancing those features that have the greatest impact on their quality. Full article

Mobility patterns and lifestyles have changed in recent years in cities worldwide, thanks to the strong rise in modes of travel commonly referred to as micromobility. In this context, e-scooters have experienced a great rise globally which has led to an increase of crashes involving this type of micromobility vehicle in urban areas. Thus, there is a need to study e-scooter users’ behaviour and their interaction with cyclists. This research aimed at characterizing the meeting manoeuvre between micromobility users along diverse typologies of two-way bicycle track by using an instrumented e-scooter. As a result, bicycle tracks having concrete or vegetated curb presented lower clearance distance (≈0.8 m) than those without edge elements (>1 m), with no statistically significant differences found between the interaction with bicycles and e-scooters. Additionally, an online questionnaire was proposed to assess users’ perceived risk during the meeting manoeuvre, concluding that micromobility users feel safer and more comfortable riding on pavements away from parked or moving motorized traffic, and on protected bicycle tracks. Full article

Considering the controversial discussion about the sustainability and usefulness of e-scooters, in this study, we analyzed the substitution potential of e-scooters, especially with regard to car trips. Based on data from the national mobility survey in Germany (Mobility in Germany, MiD 2017), we identified trips that could be covered purely by an e-scooter. Thereby, trip length, trip purposes, weather conditions, and other influencing factors were taken into account. Our analysis showed that, in Germany, 10–15% of the motorized individual transport (MIT) trips could be made by e-scooter. Accompanied by a literature analysis, we then critically reflected on the overall potential of e-scooters and formulated recommendations for urban and transport planning. Full article

As we witness a global change occurring with the advent of e-scooters (electric scooters), it is clear that adequate measures need to be taken for the implementation of this means of transport. Bearing in mind that the user should be the focus of the proposed measures, the aim of this paper encompasses the analysis of e-scooter users’ travel patterns, as well as standard scooter users’ willingness to switch to e-scooters for different hypothetical scenarios, and the determination of factors that have an influence on the users’ willingness to switch. The scenarios include the availability of various infrastructure capacities for the city of Belgrade, namely, a separate infrastructure for e-scooters, or sharing the existing infrastructure with cyclists, pedestrians and motor vehicles. Standard methods of descriptive statistics, the McNemar–Bowker test of paired samples, and multinomial logistic regression were used in this paper. The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in users’ willingness to use an e-scooter, depending on the available infrastructure. The results of multinomial logistic regression showed that the mode of transport used before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the average distance traveled, had a statistically significant impact on the users’ willingness to switch to e-scooters if they were allowed to use the cycling infrastructure. This paper also identifies additional factors that have a positive (environmental benefits, congestion avoidance) and negative (safety issues, lack of infrastructure, etc.) impact on users’ willingness to switch, which can be of use to decision-makers as a basic guideline for the adequate implementation of e-scooters in transport systems. Full article

Personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs) are a phenomenon that can currently be observed in cities, intended to be an ecological form of transport. The authors of the paper make an attempt to determine electricity consumption by PLEVs in the context of managing a large city in accordance with the concept of sustainable development. The article is of a cognitive nature. Research questions posed against the background of the goal formulated are as follows: how strong will the demand for PLEVs be (in the example of e-motor scooters, taking into consideration the number of vehicles) and for the electricity consumed by PLEVs. The method used is a simulation model. The conducted analyses demonstrate that a dynamic growth of PLEVs will result in an increased energy demand, which must be taken into account by the cities, developing according to the sustainable development conception. Full article

In this study, inverse differential gear and power mode switching control were used to develop a hybrid electric motorcycle (HEM). An inverse differential gear power splitter was installed to integrate or distribute the power of an internal combustion engine (ICE), thus achieving single/dual power output. In addition, the transmission system was configured with continuously variable transmission to adjust the transmission speed reduction ratio and stabilize the power output. As a result, three power modes (i.e., the motor drive mode, ICE drive/generator mode, and dual power drive mode) could be switched between each other smoothly. Finally, our HEM was tested by a chassis power gauge. The test results showed that the HEM consumed 41.1% less fuel and produced 58.6% less exhaust emissions compared with conventional ICE motorcycles. In terms of controllability, the acceleration time for 0–100 m was 2.4 s less than the Taiwan E-scooter Standard (TES). The fastest highest vehicle speed was 2.1 times greater than the test of the TES. Full article