E-bikes are rapidly growing in popularity in the Netherlands since, in 2020 a record-high number of e-bikes (over 420,000) were sold. Also, in the Netherlands, in 2019, around 18% of bicycle trips were made by e-bike users, which roughly translates to one-fifth of the total, and an increase in the number of injuries among e-bike users has been observed (Haas & Hamersma, 2020). In the Netherlands, the distance covered by e-bikes increased by 13% between 2019 and 2020, whereas the risk of deaths per e-bike kilometre cycled increased by more than one-third for the same years(KiM, 2021; SWOV, 2022). 31% of all road fatalities in 2019 were cyclists (203 fatalities), while in 2020, this percentage was 37% (229 fatalities). 32% (74 fatalities) of these fatalities were e-bike users (Statistics Netherlands (CBS), 2021). It is noteworthy that in 2020, the number of cyclists’ fatalities was higher than that of vehicle drivers (Statistics Netherlands (CBS), 2021).
Recent years have witnessed a growing academic interest in addressing cycling safety issues by adopting new technologies, such as bicycle sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT), to prevent and reduce e-bike crashes (Kapousizis et al., 2022). However, research to date has not yet determined users' intention to adopt new bicycle technologies that increase safety and comfort.
Research objective
To address this gap, a European-based survey was conducted on January 2023 to collect data on user acceptance of smart technologies on e-bikes. This MSc project aims to analyse the collected data to investigate users’ opinions on smart technologies and draw conclusions about the future of e-bikes. The project is part of the Smart Connected Bike project which runs at the UT.
References
- Haas, & Hamersma. (2020). Fietsfeiten: nieuwe inzichten (978-90-8902-237-0). Retrieved from https://www.kimnet.nl/publicaties/brochures/2020/10/12/fietsfeiten-nieuwe-inzichten
- Kapousizis, Ulak, Geurs, & Havinga. (2022). A review of state-of-the-art bicycle technologies affecting cycling safety: level of smartness and technology readiness. Transport Reviews, 1-23. doi:10.1080/01441647.2022.2122625
- KiM. (2021). Mobiliteitsbeeld 2021 (KiM-21-A018). Retrieved from Den Haag, 2500 EX: https://www.kimnet.nl/mobiliteitsbeeld/publicaties/publicaties/2021/11/18/mobiliteitsbeeld-2021
- Statistics Netherlands (CBS). (2021). 610 traffic deaths in 2020. Retrieved from https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2021/15/610-traffic-deaths-in-2020
- SWOV. (2022). Electric bicycles and speed pedelecs. Retrieved from The Hague: https://swov.nl/nl/factsheet/elektrische-fietsen-en-speed-pedelecs
Supervision
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