Light electric vehicles: the views of users and non-users

Purpose:
Light electric vehicles (LEVs), such as e-bikes, e-scooters and electric two-wheelers, can potentially assist the transition to a sustainable transport system due to their low energy and spatial demands. This exploratory survey study investigated and compared the views of LEV users and interested non-users on the vehicles’ advantages in Finland, Austria, Spain and Italy among urban residents (n = 4090) to understand factors influencing their adoption. Additionally, differences between personal and shared vehicles were investigated.

Method:
The survey queried respondents on the advantages of either the LEV they used most often, or the LEV they were most interested in using. Of respondents, 26% were LEV users, 37% were non-users interested in using an LEV and 37% were uninterested non-users. Factors concerning comfort, accessibility, safety, and practicality of travel were formed. The effects of respondent type (user vs. non-users), LEV type, whether the LEV was shared or personal, age, gender and country were examined with a full-factorial ANOVA for each factor and some additional variables.

Findings:
In general, LEVs were regarded well for travel comfort and supporting accessibility, but less positively for safety and assisting with practical aspects of travel. LEVs were also perceived environmentally friendly. Furthermore, users perceived LEVs more positively than non-users, while age and gender only mildly influenced views. The results suggest that increased familiarity with LEVs is associated with more favourable views concerning them. Existing positive views may have led to LEV use; however, experience could have changed these views as well. LEVs are novel vehicles with recognised benefits, but low familiarity may hinder adoption. Increasing familiarity with LEVs among non-users could encourage uptake, potentially supporting modal shifts from the car to LEVs and thus assist the transition to a more sustainable transport system.