Synergy of the electric bicycle within the future urban mobility
Urban mobility consists of analyzing the movement of people and goods within a defined urban area and then rethinking the organization of this mobility. This search for harmonization is intended to be efficient and sustainable. Within this permanent analysis of urban mobility, the partial transition to new transport solutions and new vehicles (electric scooters, electric scooters, electric or ordinary bicycles or even connected bicycles, etc.) is invited into the reflections.
Will some of these new mobility devices (also called "EDPM") be an alternative to the car? First, we will try to understand what urban mobility is and the constraints that are linked to it. In France, in-depth work is constantly being done to optimize this mobility in the heart of cities.
Then, we will be able to wonder about the combination of this mobility and its future with the integration and development of the electric bicycle within the new travel habits. The electric bicycle is an efficient and innovative solution in the middle of urban travel practices. Its place in the framework of urban mobility is not in doubt and its development is linked to it.
Urban mobility is never static
All the movements of the population and the flow of goods within an urban perimeter define urban mobility by bringing together its problems and solutions. The study of these movements makes it possible to identify the improvements to be made in order to
- ensure the safety of the whole population (users or not);
- improve the fluidity of vehicle routes and traffic flow;
- improve environmentally responsible practices (limit GHG emissions and fine particles, avoid unnecessary travel, etc.);
- to accompany the growing demography within the framework of an urbanization practice generally slowed down in its cadastral expansion;
- etc.
These notions are becoming more and more obvious, but they are reinforced when the population density increases on a given territorial surface (as in a city for example). It is important to imagine that in a large city (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Strasbourg, etc.) there are leverage effects at work:
- the entire working population travels 2 to 4 times a day between work and home;
- businesses have all their goods delivered within the city perimeter, often using heavy goods vehicles
- the number of cars has only increased since its democratization in France in the 1950s and 1960s, without any significant increase in the number of passengers per vehicle;
- public transport must share infrastructure or commandeer space (which reduces the construction footprint even as the population increases);
- etc.
It is thereforeall of these constraints that the reflection on mobility in cities brings together. As nothing is fixed concerning the population and its movements, this is the reason why such work cannot be fixed either. The success of an urban mobility study sometimes lies less in the resolution of past problems than in the ability to anticipate future ones.
The electric bicycle "rolls off the tongue
As we have seen, mobility in the city requires constant study and innovation. It is necessary to know how to reinvent certain modes of travel and transportation while guiding and accompanying changes in habits. For all these issues, the electric bicycle is a solution on several levels.
The format of the electric bicycle competes with the car
The mode of travel is important for a user. Although the car remains a preferred mode of transportation that is difficult to dethrone, the constraints (traffic jams, parking solutions, environmental and health impact, economic cost, etc.) are strong. It is therefore logical that the car is now increasingly competing in urban environments. One argument for the car points to the fact that a car provides shelter and protection from the weather, but so does public transport (with which the electric bike is compatible).
Electric bike, speedbike and EDPM
An electrically assisted bicycle (EAB) is limited to 250W of power and cuts off its electric assistance above 25 km/h. A "speedbike" exceeds 250W of power and can go up to 45 km/h. It must be registered and the driver must be insured.
The MPTs (motorized personal transport devices) include, for example, the electric scooter, the electric gyropod, etc. A specific insurance is mandatory to drive such a device and traffic rules have been enacted for their use.
The electric bicycle enjoys innovations
Today, thanks to new technologies, the electric bike benefits from a set of performances. Thus, it becomes a potentiality in the minds of many users of other means of transportation (cars, public transport, etc.).
The electric bicycle can also be a connected bicycle ("smart bike"). The advantages of such a bike are therefore cumulative:
- little effort is required to make regular trips, even over long distances and hills;
- its small size is an asset to park it once you arrive at your destination;
- it can be recharged anywhere there is an outlet (work, home, specially installed terminal in town, etc.);
- integrated guidance service and anti-theft system with GPS tracking for better security;
- possible combination with public transport (can be taken on board a TER, an equipped bus, etc.);
- transport of goods for delivery e.g. by cargo bike ;
- etc.
The electric bicycle is a necessary response among others
No one can predict the future. But it is not easy to believe that the future of log mobility lies in a single transport solution. Combining the use of several modes of transportation will be an effective response to the challenges of future city mobility. Among them, the use of electric bicycles and the implementation of related infrastructures (bike paths, charging stations, etc.) is already a reality that will most likely be reinforced over time.
The increasing autonomy of these electric bicycles, their improved safety for users and their increasingly intuitive and accessible handling make this means of transport a major ally in future urban mobility. The electric bicycle market is recent and in constant innovation. Its democratization is a reality. Many cities have already voted financial aid for those who wish to become owners of such bikes and thus contribute to future urban mobility.
We recommend these other pages: