How could shared electric bikes shape the future of urban mobility?

50% of bike share systems in North America had electric bikes in 2021 according to the NABSA State of the Industry Report. By comparison, in 2020, the proportion of e-bikes was only 44%. Shared electric bikes are definitely on the rise!

Indeed, electric bikes have many advantages. They attract new users, allow longer distances to be covered and offer a real alternative to the car in urban centers. These advantages are reflected in the operations of these systems. In mixed systems of mechanical and electric bikes, operators are seeing an increase in the use rate of e-bikes compared to mechanical bikes.

This great popularity brings with it new challenges for both operators and cities. Operators are now facing a very different cost management than a purely mechanical system. E-bikes are more expensive to purchase and require more maintenance. First of all, operators must define their battery charging strategy. They must decide whether to install charging stations, which require civil engineering, or battery swapping, which is quicker to set up but requires more staff to swap the batteries. Finally, the intensive use of electric bikes leads to faster deterioration of the vehicles and requires rethinking the management of damaged bikes.

In addition to these operational challenges, cities must adapt their policies. Indeed, public policies must be rethought to support operators in this electric transition and help them fully develop these very popular systems.

In this way, how could shared electric bikes shape the future of urban mobility?

To find out what our experts think, meet us on Tuesday 13 December!

Discover our speakers:

Venkatesh Gopal,

Shared Mobility Consultant and Partnerships Manager at Movmi

Michael Blanc,

General Manager at Shift Transit Toronto (Bike Share Toronto)

Evan Meixner,

Consultant in transportation and sustainable mobility at Inddigo