A replacement for cars?
E-bikes will supplement not supplant car usage
Consumers do not see e-bikes as a replacement for their car. Instead, a majority see e-bikes as a replacement for some of their car journeys, with 47% of car owners seeing e-bikes as an alternative to shorter car journeys.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, city dwellers, current e-bike owners and the 17-34 segment are the most likely to state they can see an e-bike replacing their shorter car journeys . As a testament to the potential for e-bikes to replace shorter car journeys, a third of current micromobility owners stated that they can see an e-bike replacing all of their car journeys.
More needs to be done to engage car owners with the benefits of e-bikes. With 50% of all car journeys in the UK under 5 miles, the opportunity for e-bikes to replace a significant volume of car journeys is huge
The rationale for car owners looking to use an e-bike for some or all of their journey is primarily focused on savings, with the cost savings on fuel being the top reason cited as to why car owners would utilise an e-bike over a car. The comparative speed over a regular bicycle was also a strong motivating factor in owning an e-bike, as opposed to a bicycle, as was the desire for a more sustainable mode of transport. These benefits should be highlighted to drive more appeal among car owners.
Ebikes have a vital role to play in terms of helping people make the choice to travel more sustainably and crucially to use the most appropriate mode of transport for the journey they are taking. Depending on circumstances this might be the train, a bike or a car. Ebikes give inexperienced cyclists the confidence to give cycling a go, as well as overcoming concerns about it being hard work. Understandably very few people want to turn up to a meeting or work all hot and sweaty! At present Ebikes only represent around 7-8% of all bikes sold in the UK compared to nearly 50% of all bikes sold in Germany. This shows both the potential, but also the need for funding from Government to make buying an Electric bike more affordable. Ebike sales are growing in share in the UK, but there is still a long way to go and plenty of opportunity.
