E-BIKES: GENERATING THE NEW WAVE OF CYCLISTS

John MacArthurSustainable Transportation Program ManagerOTREC at Portland State University

IBPI Webinar - June 9, 2014

Presentation Outline

•Why do e-bikes matter?•What is an e-bike?•U.S. regulations review•North American e-bike user survey•Conclusions

WHY DO E-BIKES MATTER?

US Transport Sector

Impacts

Safety 32,788 fatalities in 2010 (-3% from 2009) 1.09 fatalities per 100 MVMT (VMT +0.7% in 2010) 2.2 M injuries in 2009 5.3 M crashes in 2011 $230 B total cost (including medical) Leading cause of death for ages 4 to 34Accessibility, Reliability and Mobility 4.8B hours travel delay (34 hours/auto commuter) $121 billion cost of urban congestionHousehold Expenses Second biggest monthly expense, after housingEnvironmental 28% of GHG emissions (78% CO, 58% NOx, 36% VOCs) 29% of energy consumed (mostly petroleum) 70% of petroleum consumption (60% imported) 3.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel

Source: Prof. Robert Bertini

Commute Mode Share for Portland

2030

BikeWalkTelecommuteCarpoolTransitDrive Alone

Reduce per capita daily vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) by 30 % from 2008 levels.

Portland Climate Action Plan, 2009

2009

BikeWalkCarpoolTransitDrive Alone

Large US Cities Ranked by % Bicycle Commuting

Portlan

d

Was

hingto

n

San Fran

cisco

Tucso

n

Sacram

ento

Philad

elphia

Boston

Chicag

o

Tampa

St. Lou

is

Baltim

oreMiam

i

New Y

ork C

ity

Columbu

s

Atlanta

Anahe

im

Stockto

n

Cincinn

ati

Kansa

s City

Toledo

Charlo

tte

Dallas

El Pas

o0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey

Why don’t people bike more?• Safety• Lack of infrastructure• Weather• Inconvenience• Logistic issues• Lack of fitness• Lack of time• Too much effort• Can’t carry what you need• Lack of confidence

Shifting the four types of cyclists

56% Interested but Concerned

31% No Way, No How

9% Enthused &Confident

Geller, 2006 and Dill & McNeil, 2012

4% Strong & Fearless

People that are older

People who live in areas that are hilly

People who commute distances greater than 5 miles

People that have a physical limitation that makes cycling difficult

Woman tend to bike less that men. Women make up approx. 25% of all bike trips in the US.

People don’t always feel safe biking in traffic

People who don’t want to sweat or wear special clothes to commute

People who need to carry or haul items or people

What are the critical pieces to increase cycling?

Cost

Programs&

PoliciesAttitudes

InfrastructureCritical Mass

Technology

WHAT IS AN E-BIKE?

What is an electric bike?

Battery

Motor (Hub or Chain drive)

Power controls&

Gear shifts

Come in all shapes and sizes

Different types of the e-bikes

Throttle Pedelec

Powered bicycle (PB) Powered-assisted bicycle (PAB)

Not considered “e-bikes”

Moped Scooter

How Much Faster Are E-bikes?• AASHTO 2012 design criteria – bike facilities

• 8-15 mph pave level terrain; 20-30 mph downhill; 5-12 uphill; 15 mph avg. operational speed

• Landis et al. 2004, conventional bikes travel 11 mph (avg.), 14 mph (85% percentile), 1% > 20 mph

• Cherry & He 2009, avg. conventional bike 6.9 mph (std. 3.3) / avg. e-bike 9.0 mph (std. 5.5) or 31-35% faster

• Langford & Cherry 2013, UT study of e-bikes (avg. 8.3 mph; 85th percentile 12.4 mph); conventional bikes( avg. 6.5 mph; 85th percentile speed 10.6 mph)

Facility Mean (mph) Max (mph) Min (mph)Bike path 12.6 24.4 2.7

Bicycle lane 15.5 25.4 2.5

Sidewalk 11.5 18.7 2.1

No facility 11.8 22.9 5.0Opiela et al ., 1980

A Naturalistic Cycling Study in Sweden

Dozza, et al. 2013

8.7 mph

14 mph

Market for E-bikesElectric Bicycle Sales by Region, World Markets: 2012-2018

Source: Navigant/Pike Research

Projected US Growth

Source: Navigant/Pike Research

U.S. REGULATIONS REVIEW

International Definitions ComparedRegion Power

LimitTop Speed

PB allowed

PAB allowed

Other

US 750W 20 mph Yes Yes Has operating pedals

Canada 500W 20 mph Yes Yes Has operating pedals, <265 lbs.

EU 250W 15.5 mph No Yes Motor operates during pedaling only

China No limit 12.4 mph Yes Yes Has operating pedals, < 88 lbs.

Rest of Asia

250W 15 mph No Yes Has operating pedals

Australia 200W/250W

Not specified

Yes Yes Has operating pedals

Definition of an E-bike (Federal)• Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

• The Consumer Product Safety Act regulates the use of low-speed electric bicycles to “two-or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 horse power), whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 mph” Sec. 38 [15 U.S.C. § 2085]

• Regulation only pertains to manufacturing and first sell

• Now for the confusing part:• d) This section shall supersede any State law or requirement with respect to low-

speed electric bicycles to the extent that such State law or requirement is more stringent than the Federal law or requirements referred to in subsection (a).

State & local regulations• States define the device & determine where it can used

• Many state use regulations in place governing "moped", "motorcycle", "motorized bicycle", "motorscooter", "scooter", and/or "motor-driven cycle."

• Oregon - ORS 801.258 “Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts” but ORS 807.020(15) “A person may operate an electric assisted bicycle without a driver license or driver permit if the person is 16 years of age or older.”

• Many cities defer to the state regulation and classification

• Some cities are addressing e-bikes: Boulder, Eugene, Bloomfield (CO), Toronto, Chicago, Tucson, New York City

Unique case of New York/New York State• Motorized devices that cannot be

registered in New York – including “motor-assisted bicycle”

• A business using a bicycle for commercial purposes shall not possess any motorized scooter and shall not permit any employee of such business to operate such a motorized scooter on behalf of such business. (Local Laws 2013/40 & 41)• Motorized scooter - …capable of propelling the

device without human power and is not capable of being registered with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles

• Proposed bills in New York State Assembly and Senate (A1618A-2013 and S390A-2013)

Minimum age

12

14

15

16

18

No minimum age

Data unavailable

Classified as bicycle

No

Yes

E-bike-specific definition

No

Yes

No “home rule”

Driver’s license and vehicle registration

No

Yes

Vehicle registration required

Maximum power output specified

500 W / 0.67 HP

750 W / 1 H.P.

1000 W / 1.34 H.P.

> 1000 W / 1.34 H.P.

Piston displacement (cc)

Unspecified limit

Data unavailable

Data unavailable

18 – 20 mph

25 mph

30 – 31 mph

No limit set

Speed limit

Policy Questions & Implications• Technology

• Motor size; Speed; Weight; Dimensions; Pedals (Functional?)

• Rider/Passenger• Age; Helmet; License; Registration

• Use• Separated/protected bike path; Bike lane; Shared use path; Sidewalk & Trails

How do you feel about these e-bikes?

NORTH AMERICAN E-BIKE USER SURVEY

What Is Our Research Question?

Will e-bikes…

•Get more people to bike, and

•Get people to bike more often.

Survey Methodology• Adapted a survey instrument from

the Institute of Transport Studies at Monash University

• The survey was distributed through e-bike blogs & forums, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, e-mails to manufacturers and retailers, and via postcards to retailers in the Portland region.

• March 7 – July 1, 2013• 553 e-bike owners responded to

the survey

Geography of survey respondents

Demographics

Male Female

85%

15%

n=553Gender

18 to 24

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 54

55 to 64

65 and over

1%10%

18%26%

32%13%

n=451

Age

4%

25%

37% 34%Education

n=448

Under $15,000$15,000 to $25,000$25,000 to $35,000

$35,000 to $50,000$50,000 to $75,000

$75,000 to $100,000$100,000 to$150,000

$150,000 or more

5%7%7%

13%18%

16%18%

16%Income

N = 448

Demographic summary 90% White, 5% Asian, 5% other (n=428) 90% have access to a motor vehicle, 7% no vehicle 30% indicated that they have a physical condition that

makes riding a standard bike difficult (n=450)

Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

How would you rate your general health?

n=449

Purchase Decisions48% purchased an e-bike,

while 52% converted a standard bike to electric-assist.

What type of bike did you convert?

Road

Mounta

in

Hybrid

Folding

Recum

bent

Wom

en's/

Commute

r

Cargo/X

tracy

cleOthe

r

11%

40%

16%

2%

10%7%

13%

1%

In which year did you purchase your electric bike or conversion kit?

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005 or before

13%

34%

20%

11%

11%

5%

2%

3%

3%

n=421

How much did your electric bike or conversion kit cost to purchase?

$500 or less

$501 - $1,000

$1,000 - $1,500

$1,501 - $2,000

$2,001 - $2,500

$2,501 or more

10%

18% 18% 16%14%

25%

18%

28%24%

17%

6%8%

Purchased Converted

n=414

What were the main reasons you bought an electric bike, or converted a standard bicycle?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Male FemaleRespondents w/ physical limitation Respondents w/out a physical limitationRespondents <55 Respondents >55

What is the main reason that you use your electric bike (purpose of trips)?

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%

MaleFemaleRespondents w/ physical limitationRespondents w/out a physical limitationRespondents < 55Respondents > 55

Bike Use 94% indicated they had rode a

standard bike as an adult 55% rode their standard bike weekly

or daily prior to e-bike purchase --this went up to 93% after purchase

Of the 6% that hadn’t rode a bike as an adult, of those 89% ride their e-bike daily or weekly

Over 90% use their e-bikes weekly or daily

“To replace 95% of car trips and make commuting fun” – Survey Respondent

Getting around 45% indicated that they take a different

route on their e-bike than a standard bike

35% don’t avoid hills on e-bike and 31% will take more direct or higher traffic route on e-bike but 30% say they take lower traffic or less direct route

Three quarters (73%) ride to different destinations on their e-bikes than they did on a standard bike

“I have bad knees( I'm retired, 68 years old). If I pedal a bike my range is limited by pain to about 5 to 6 miles. The e-bikes has a range per charge of 30 to 35 miles.” – Survey Respondent

What are the different destinations you ride to on your electric bike?

• 52% of women responded that they take a different route on their electric bike than they did on their standard bike as compared to 42% of men.

• 82% of women responded that they ride to different destinations on their electric bike than they did on their standard bike compared to 73% of men.

Errands

/Soc

ial Eve

nts

Hillier d

estin

ations

/origi

ns

Places f

arther

away

Commute

Recre

ational

trips

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

What are the main advantages to riding an e-bike?

Increa

sed s

peed

/rang

e

Ride w

ith le

ss ef

fort/H

elp on

hills

Health

Cheap

er tra

nspo

rtatio

nFun

Car rep

lacem

ent/e

nviro

nmen

tal

Allow to

ride w

hen o

therw

ise co

uldn’t

Increa

sed c

argo c

apac

ity0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

What are the main disadvantage to riding an e-bike?

Weig

ht

Inclement

weather

NoneCost

Limite

d range

Increas

ed co

mplexit

y, more

thing

s to f

ail

Cars, h

aving t

o deal w

ith ot

her r

oad use

rs

Security

/Fear

of th

eft/Van

dalis

m

Battery

charg

ing tim

e0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%

Limitations of survey

•No response rate•Method of delivery•Online survey and self reporting use•Not random and potential basis

Survey conclusions• Have a potential to get more people on bikes

• Older adults• People with physical limitations• Women (?)

I live in a hilly town and would never commute to work on a standard bike -- I wouldn't be able to make it up the hills. My electric assist bike makes commuting by bike possible. I am age 78, legally blind, live alone in a semi-rural area. 4 miles to the nearest scheduled bus route and town, 7 miles to my favorite shopping area, 12 miles to my church.

Survey conclusions• Encourages more people to bike more often & to more distant locations• Commuters

• Less sweaty, not strenuous• Not avoiding trips or locations• Enjoy biking!

• Reported increase in bike usage

I use the e-bike primarily as a substitute for the car where I would have otherwise would have driven a car. I can carry my son and a week’s worth of groceries.

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions• Evidence suggests that e-bikes are becoming more prevalent

in North America

• E-bikes can help get more people biking and biking more often

• Technology should be added to the bike promotion & planning dialogue

• The federal & state regulatory landscape needs to be standardized to decrease confusion and help the market grow

• Transportation agencies need to be aware of emerging technologies and their implications for how the transportation system should be designed, regulated and operated.

• Should e-bikes be given the same distinguish as bicycles?

• What are the safety implications of these new emerging technologies?

Contact InformationJohn MacArthur• macarthur@pdx.edu• 503-725-2866

For more and reports go to: ebike.research.pdx.edu

Thanks to Prof. Jennifer Dill, Nicholas Kobel and Mark Person for their work on the research projects and OTREC/NITC for funding this project.

Special thanks to Geoffrey Rose & Marilyn Johnson, Institute of Transport Studies at Monash University for the use of the survey instrument and Chris Cherry, University of Tennessee, for his assistance and review.

References• Cherry, C. & He M. Alternative Methods of Measuring Operating Speed of Electric and Traditional Bikes in

China-Implications for Travel Demand Models. Proceedings of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol. 7, 2009.

• Dozza M., J. Werneke, M., Mackenzie. e‐BikeSAFE: A Naturalistic Cycling Study to Understand how Electrical Bicycles Change Cycling Behavior and Influence Safety. Proceedings, International Cycling Safety Conference 2013, Helmond, The Netherlands, 20‐21 November 2013.

• Gojanovic, B.,Wleker, J., Iglesias, K.,Daucourt,C. & Gremion, G. Electric Bicycles as a New Active Transportation Modality to Promote Health. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2204-2210. 2011.

• Landis, B. W., Petritsch, T. A., & Huang, H. F. (2004). Characteristics of emerging road and trail users and their safety, report no. FHWA-HRT-04-103.

• Louis, J., Brisswalter J., Morio C., Barla C., Temrado J-J., The Electrically assisted bicycle: An alternative way to promote physical activity. American Jounral Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. pp. 931-940, 2012.

• MacArthur, J., Dill, J., & Person, M. (2014). E-Bikes in the North America: Results from an online survey. In Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C.

• Navigant Research - Hurst, D., & Gartner, J. (2013). Executive summary: Electric bicycles global market opportunities, barriers, technology issues, and demand forecasts for e-bicycles, pedal-assist bicycles, and e-bicycle batteries and motors. Boulder, CO:

• Rose, G. (2011). E-bikes and urban transportation: Emerging issues and unresolved questions. Transportation, 39, 81–96. doi:10.1007/s11116-011-9328-y

• Rose, Geoff & P. Cock, “Encouraging E-bike use: the need for regulatory reform in Australia.” Presentation for Transport Research at Monash University. Working Paper ITS-WP-03-19, 2003.

• Simons, M.,Van Es, E. & Hendriksen, I. Electrically Assisted Cycling: A New Mode for Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines?. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2204-2210. 2011.

Questions

?

Health Impacts• Metabolic equivalents (METs)

• Light intensity activities < 3 METs• Moderate physical activity 3-6 METs• Vigorous-intense activity > 6 METs

• CDC recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week

• Various studies (Simons 2009, Gojanovic 2011, Louis 2012) have shown that e-bikes provide moderate physical activity (5-6 METs) but limited vigorous activity

Heart Rate Field Study for 3 modes

Rose & Cock, Monash University 2003

Heart Rate Zones

Rose & Cock, Monash University 2003