A major trial of e-cargo bikes which saw dozens of families use them for shopping, leisure and commuting has shown they have the potential to reduce car use and improve health, say researchers.
Over half of all mileage ridden during the month-long trials in Oxford, Leeds and Brighton replaced car trips, and after the trial 20% of participants went on to buy an e-cargo bike.
The findings come from the ELEVATE (Electric Vehicles for Active and Digital Travel) project, led by the University of Leeds in collaboration with researchers from the University of Oxford, the University of Brighton, the Technical University of Dortmund and the Technical University of Eindhoven.
The study, E-liveable – unlocking the potential of electric micromobility through e-bikes, e-cargo bikes and e-scooters, highlights the significant potential of e-micromobility to reduce car dependency while improving health and supporting more sustainable travel.
Lead researcher Dr Ian Philips from the University of Leeds Institute for Transport Studies said:
The ELEVATE project shows that e-micromobility—especially e-bikes and e-cargo bikes—has significant untapped potential to reduce car use, improve health, and enhance everyday life beyond large cities.
But realising this potential will require coordinated action by policymakers around promotion, affordability, infrastructure, safety and regulation, rather than relying on individual behaviour change alone."
The trials involved 49 households in suburban areas of Oxford, Leeds and Brighton who were offered the free use of an e-cargo bike for one month. Participants received training and were provided with accessories such as child seats.
Two types of household e-cargo bikes were used during the trials: long johns, with a cargo or passenger area at the front, and longtails, which feature an extended rear rack for panniers and child seats.
The research found that participants used e-cargo bikes for a wide range of purposes, most commonly escorting children to education, shopping and commuting, travelling an average of 38–42 km per week. More than half of all e-cargo bike mileage during the trials replaced journeys that would otherwise have been made by car.
The study also found that 20% of participants purchased an e-cargo bike after completing the trial, suggesting that "try before you buy" schemes can encourage longer-term adoption.
Adam, a participant in the Leeds trial, said:
The benefits of this have been transporting the kids - the fact that I can put them in there with all their bags from whatever they're doing, whether it's nursery, taking them to a friend's house or taking them to a sports club, I can get it all in. It's perfect for local journeys, I absolutely love it."
Ali, who also took part in the Leeds trial, said:
"When I've been riding past pubs, I have had people cheering for me, which is totally random, but that's happened maybe three or four times.
"I've also had people stopping and smiling and waving, people just interested, people wanting to have a look at the bike, wanting to ask questions about it. It's been an overwhelmingly positive response."
Professor Christian Brand, Emeritus Professor of Transport, Energy and Climate Change at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and Transport Studies Unit (TSU), and Dr Labib Azzouz, Research Associate in Transport and Energy Innovation at both the ECI and TSU played a key role in assessing the wider environmental implications of e-micromobility.
Professor Christian Brand led scenario analysis using the TEAM-UK transport-energy-environment model to examine how different e-micromobility futures could affect travel demand, energy use and emissions. He also carried out lifecycle energy and carbon assessments of e-micromobility pathways, helping to evaluate the full environmental footprint of vehicles, fuels and batteries.
Dr Labib Azzouz, Research Associate in Transport and Energy Innovation at the ECI and TSU, also contributed to the project's transport and energy innovation research.
Professor Christian Brand said:
E-micromobility delivers its biggest environmental benefits when it replaces car travel at scale and over the next 15 or so years. Our modelling shows that e-bikes and e-cargo bikes are especially promising because they cut energy use, emissions and pollution across the system, rather than simply shifting the problem elsewhere."
The trials also revealed several barriers to wider uptake, including purchase costs, concerns about theft, negative perceptions of battery safety, confusion over which vehicles are legal, and a lack of appropriate infrastructure such as charging stations and secure parking facilities.
In addition to the e-cargo bike trials, researchers commissioned a national YouGov survey of 2,000 people in England. The survey found that more than half of respondents would like to try using an e-bike, e-cargo bike or e-scooter.
The ELEVATE project was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).