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E-bike use in Sweden – CO2 effects due to modal change and municipal promotion strategies

Winslott Hiselius, Lena LU and Svensson, Åse LU (2017) In Journal of Cleaner Production 141. p.818-824
Abstract

There is a strong political desire to reduce the use of fossil fuels in road transport. In this paper, the use of e-bikes (of the pedelec type) in Sweden is analysed by focusing on changes in travel behaviour and their corresponding effects on CO2 emissions. The aim is to analyse the effect on CO2 emissions due to the use of e-bikes. The analysis is carried out on the possible differences in changed travel behaviour between areas dominated by either urban or rural environments. It is based on a combination of responses to a questionnaire distributed to e-bike users and a survey of local transport planners in Swedish municipalities. The results indicate that there are large gains to be made from e-bike usage in... (More)

There is a strong political desire to reduce the use of fossil fuels in road transport. In this paper, the use of e-bikes (of the pedelec type) in Sweden is analysed by focusing on changes in travel behaviour and their corresponding effects on CO2 emissions. The aim is to analyse the effect on CO2 emissions due to the use of e-bikes. The analysis is carried out on the possible differences in changed travel behaviour between areas dominated by either urban or rural environments. It is based on a combination of responses to a questionnaire distributed to e-bike users and a survey of local transport planners in Swedish municipalities. The results indicate that there are large gains to be made from e-bike usage in terms of decreased CO2 emissions through a reduction in car mileage. Furthermore, the results indicate that the potential for e-bikes to replace car trips is as great in rural areas as it is in urban areas. At the same time, the results indicate that the Swedish municipalities carrying out e-bike campaigns target trips in both urban and rural areas, therefore representing an effective promotion strategy to achieve the full CO2 emissions reducing potential of e-bike use. This study also shows that, depending on the type of errand being carried out, more respondents living in urban areas than in rural areas replace their conventional bicycle trips with e-bike trips. Thus, the use of e-bikes produces some less than desirable effects, such as reduced physical activity.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
CO emissions, E-bike, Pedelec, Sustainability, Travel behaviour
in
Journal of Cleaner Production
volume
141
pages
7 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000389090300074
  • scopus:84994506027
ISSN
0959-6526
DOI
10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.141
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
03ee2fe9-ef91-4623-87c1-3a9fe19aef31
date added to LUP
2017-02-28 14:51:49
date last changed
2024-05-12 09:19:31
@article{03ee2fe9-ef91-4623-87c1-3a9fe19aef31,
  abstract     = {{<p>There is a strong political desire to reduce the use of fossil fuels in road transport. In this paper, the use of e-bikes (of the pedelec type) in Sweden is analysed by focusing on changes in travel behaviour and their corresponding effects on CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. The aim is to analyse the effect on CO<sub>2</sub> emissions due to the use of e-bikes. The analysis is carried out on the possible differences in changed travel behaviour between areas dominated by either urban or rural environments. It is based on a combination of responses to a questionnaire distributed to e-bike users and a survey of local transport planners in Swedish municipalities. The results indicate that there are large gains to be made from e-bike usage in terms of decreased CO<sub>2</sub> emissions through a reduction in car mileage. Furthermore, the results indicate that the potential for e-bikes to replace car trips is as great in rural areas as it is in urban areas. At the same time, the results indicate that the Swedish municipalities carrying out e-bike campaigns target trips in both urban and rural areas, therefore representing an effective promotion strategy to achieve the full CO<sub>2</sub> emissions reducing potential of e-bike use. This study also shows that, depending on the type of errand being carried out, more respondents living in urban areas than in rural areas replace their conventional bicycle trips with e-bike trips. Thus, the use of e-bikes produces some less than desirable effects, such as reduced physical activity.</p>}},
  author       = {{Winslott Hiselius, Lena and Svensson, Åse}},
  issn         = {{0959-6526}},
  keywords     = {{CO emissions; E-bike; Pedelec; Sustainability; Travel behaviour}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  pages        = {{818--824}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Cleaner Production}},
  title        = {{E-bike use in Sweden – CO<sub>2</sub> effects due to modal change and municipal promotion strategies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.141}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.141}},
  volume       = {{141}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}