Electric bicycle-sharing: a new competitor in the urban transportation market?: An empirical analysis of transaction data

Abstract

Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are a new addition to bicycle-sharing and may improve its competitiveness. E-bikes allow for higher speeds at a higher level of comfort than conventional bicycles and compared to traditional bicycle- sharing, e-bike-sharing is better positioned to complement or compete with existing public transportation, or to even challenge established taxi services. Until this point, there has been no empirical analysis of e-bike-sharing. Eight months of transaction data from a free-floating e-bike-sharing system in Zurich, Switzerland were used to study the market position of e-bike sharing and drivers of demand. The results of the analysis indicate that a large proportion of the trips were commuting, and that the distance range of e-bike-sharing trips overlaps with the distance ranges of traditional public transportation and taxi services. Intensity of use was sensitive to precipitation. Spatial regression modeling indicates that economic and social activity, public transportation service quality and the availability of bicycle infrastructure are key drivers of demand for free-floating e-bike-sharing. Given the substantial structural differences in demand and supply patterns, an attempt is made to define a new, fifth generation of bicycle-sharing schemes.