Electric Cycles and Scooters

Running head: ELECTRIC CYCLES AND SCOOTERS 1
Electric cycles and scooters
Name:
Institutional Affiliation

ELECTRIC CYCLES AND SCOOTERS 2
Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
Definition...............................................................................................................................4
Local Regulations and restrictions......................................................................................4
History...................................................................................................................................4
Infrastructure needs.................................................................................................................5
Sustainable safety.................................................................................................................6
Bicycle Network and routes.................................................................................................6
Cycling Highways.................................................................................................................7
Forgiving Cycle Paths.......................................................................................................8
Wayfinding........................................................................................................................9
Parking and charging points..........................................................................................10
Safety for electric bikes..........................................................................................................12
Research methods...............................................................................................................12
Field experiment 1: Speed and mental Workload.......................................................12
Literature study: Accidents with conventional bikes vs electric bikes......................13
Recommendations..................................................................................................................14
Advantages of electric bikes..............................................................................................15
Disadvantages of electric bikes..........................................................................................15
References...............................................................................................................................16
Appendix.................................................................................................................................18
Definition of terms:.............................................................................................................18
Field experiment 1: Speed and mental Workload.......................................................18
Literature study: Accidents with conventional bikes vs electric bikes......................20

ELECTRIC CYCLES AND SCOOTERS 3
Introduction
Cycleway infrastructure is an important component of many modern cities and urban areas in
the world. In European cities, at least 35 percent of the rides are taken by bike. However, in
New Zealand only 3 percent of transport is by cycling (Bishop et al., 2016).
Often the cycleways are located adjacent to the road networks, thus residents may opt
to drive for other trips. Cycling is an activity that is well appreciated by both children and
adults in the busy congested urban areas. Numerous benefits accrued by installing cycleway
infrastructure in cities include: efficient traffic circulation, attractive street landscapes,
encourages fitness, health and wellbeing of residents, and economic use of land, which is a
rare resource in urban centres.
Over the years, street redesigns and new developments have been reflected in the
design of cycleway infrastructure. These changes include; provision of a family-friendly
environment, interactive and attractive street landscapes, efficient use of space, congestion-
proofing transport infrastructure and inclusion of technology in cycleway infrastructure
(Imran & Pearce, 2015). As the world advances technologically, electric powered gadgets
have become a staple in our daily life. Electric cycles and scooters have increasingly become
preferred mode of cycle transport owing to their ease of use, ease to learn and manoeuvre,
cheaper as compared to vehicles and environmentally friendly.
Adoption of the electric bike as the preferred mode of transport has the ability to
phase out cars for transport between longer distances. Uptake of the electric bike has been
slow due to different implications it poses; what are the safety challenges? What are the
contributions of the electric bike to personal health as compared to the conventional bike or
vehicle? What are the infrastructure needs of an electric bikes?

ELECTRIC CYCLES AND SCOOTERS 4
This report shall explore the use of electric cycles and scooters as an alternative to the
conventional bikes drawing lessons from the Netherlands, the country with the largest cycling
population.
Definition
An electric bike, also referred to e-bike, is a bicycle that has a motor that runs the pedal
system. The motor is powered by a rechargeable battery. An electric bike requires less input
from the user and has a higher speed as compared to a conventional bicycle. However, due to
the additional attachment of the motor and the battery, the electric bike is heavier by 9
kilograms as compared to the conventional bike (Markham, 2012). There are various versions
of the electric bike including e-cargo bikes, electric tricycles and mopeds. A scooter is similar
to an electric bike but has an enclosed engine, and the driver rests their feet together on a
floorboard. Therefore, a scooter requires no pedalling from the user.
Local Regulations and restrictions.
Electric bikes can travel at speeds up to 25 to 32 km/h depending on the local regulations.
According to regulations by the European Union, the maximum speed allowed is 25
km/h whose engine has a maximum output of 250W. This means that there are no licensing
requirements, insurance and use of helmets (Mingardo, 2009). However, in New Zealand it is
mandatory for all cyclists to wear helmets as per regulations passed in 1994. Although this
regulation promotes the safety of its users, it has been proven to reduce the uptake of cycling
especially among women.
History
The first appearance of an electric bike was in the 1890s. The design of the electric bike has
had very little variations over the years. Electric bike became popular in the late 1990s and is
widely used in Europe, United States and China (Rissel & Wen, 2011). The earliest adaption

ELECTRIC CYCLES AND SCOOTERS 5
of a scooter was first developed in 1914. However, the scooter became popular after World
War II with the development of the Vespa and Lambretta scooter models in Italy. The design
of the scooter has had few variations over the years. Earlier models had engines ranging from
50 to 250 cc while modern models have larger engines that range up to 850 cc.
In New Zealand, the bicycle first arrived in the 1860s. As mass production and the
design improved, cycling became popular in the country. However, the country grew car-
dependence in the 1950s due to government policy favouring vehicles as the transportation
mode of the future. In fact, New Zealand has the highest rates of car-dependence in the world
(Smith, 2016)..
Since the 1990s, local authorities have made efforts to develop cycling strategies and
policies that will incorporate cycling as a mode of transport within cities and townships.
Hastings and Plymouth were the first communities that were chosen for the implementation
of the “Model Walking and Cycling Communities” program in 2010 (Smith, 2016).
Currently cycling is one of the major tourist attractions for New Zealand with annual cycle
touring schemes such as New Zealand Cycle Trail.
Infrastructure needs
Electric bikes have the ability to replace vehicles as the preferred mode within cities and
townships. Therefore, proper considerations in the cycleway infrastructure ought to be made.
Many residents in New Zealand view cycling as an unsafe mode of transport (Tin et al.,
2009). This may be attributed to poor cycleway infrastructure and planning.
Sustainable safety
Cycleway infrastructure design should follow safety principles that guarantee the well-being
of al users. The five principles of sustainable safety are as follows:

ELECTRIC CYCLES AND SCOOTERS 6
 Functionality of roads
 Homogeneity of mass and/or speed and direction
 Physical and social forgiveness
 Predictability and recognition of roads and behaviour
 Self-awareness (capacity of road users to predict their own capabilities appropriately)
The above principles translate to the five main requirements of cycleway infrastructure
design which include directness, coherence, safety, attractiveness and comfort.
Fig 1. Five requirements of cycleway infrastructure design
Source: (Commission, 2013)
Bicycle Network and routes
There is a relationship between urbanization and the use of the electric bike; as urbanization
decreases, the distance that a user cycles increases. This can be attributed to two main factors:
people use the electric bike for recreational purposes and people in less urbanized areas cycle
for longer distances (Tseng et al., 2009). It is then only appropriate that cycleway
infrastructure be developed in the outskirts of the cities to accommodate for this need.