Based on sales trends and environmental necessity, electric vehicles (EVs) are the future. But one concern of increasing EV use is the potential effects on pedestrian safety. Several studies and common sense suggest that a near-silent EV poses a risk to pedestrians who are used to judging traffic by sound. This has led to requirements that EVs generate some form of pedestrian warning noise when operating at low speeds where wind noise is negligible.
Clearly, cities and countries should be promoting electric bicycles. What should that look like, and what’s actually happening?
Electric bikes make everyone healthier. They reduce the societal subsidy for driving cars. They increase productivity. They increase the economy. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Cities should embrace them.
40% of respondents intend to purchase a two-wheel electric vehicle in the next 12 months.
A 41% preference for electric bikes vs the 27% preference for electric motorcycles among the audience of mostly older, wealthier, male North Americans looks rather stunning.
Global regulations about what electric bicycles can be and do are all over the map. Innovation is moving faster than regulation.
Older, male, wealthier and in North America for the most part. Strongly identifying as city dwellers, not rural dwellers. Not a surprising response, but a useful one.
It’s clear that electric bicycles make individuals healthier, and jurisdictions should be actively encouraging electric bicycle use.
With US$1.5 billion global annual revenue in e-bikes already and expected growth rates in high-single or low-double digits, depending on the analyst, major manufacturing concerns in the market already, and rapid increases in pureplay e-bike firms, this is a market to watch.
This survey on motorized two-wheelers is a key piece of market information which will assist manufacturers, urban planners, and entrepreneurs with the right products and responses globally.
