Electric cargo bikes in urban areas: A new mobility option for private transportation
Diego Carracedo, Hamid Mostofi
Abstract
Regarding climate change and energy resource problems, mobility transition is essential to shift from private fossil cars to sustainable modes in both the passenger and freight sectors. One of the reasons that citizens depend on their private cars is using this mode for carrying parcels, shopping, and transporting children. However, new electrized mobility modes like electric cargo bikes (e-cargo bikes) can provide mobility services to decrease citizens' car dependency. Recently, their share in the modal splits of cities has been increasing through technological advancement, infrastructure development, and government support in some countries. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and international review of the role of e-cargo bikes in urban transportation. This paper reviewed and synthesized international studies in the field of e-cargo in terms of typology, technical parameters, users' characteristics, and readiness of cities for this emerging transport mode. Moreover, the barriers and driving factors for developing e-cargo bikes were analyzed and compared in terms of social, economic, environmental parameters, and regulations in different countries.