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E-bikes seem to be outpacing conventional bikes more and more. In 2021, only one in three new bicycles in Switzerland was electric. Last year their share accounted for almost half of all bike sales – now every fifth Swiss household owns at least one e-bike. Additionally, there are e-kicks, e-scooters, and all kinds of other electric small vehicles. The Federal Highway Office (Astra) calls them trend vehicles, and experts call them micro-mobility. They predict that micromobility will become increasingly important in the future to be sustainable, efficient and climate friendly.
Multimodality is important here, ie the use of several means of transport on one route. 80 percent of the routes in Switzerland are still used in single mode: we take the bus, tram, train, car or bike and go from point A to point B. It’s just that it’s not always the fastest and easiest option. We have to park the car in the city, which is expensive, public transport rarely gets us to our front door, and long distances by bike can be difficult and slow. Combining the right transport modes is often the best solution. We use micromobility for the so-called last mile: we’re already there and we drive the last few meters to the destination on an e-scooter or e-bike.
In principle, all small electric vehicles are covered by micromobility. However: Not all of them can be driven in public spaces either. For example, hoverboards, solo wheels or e-skateboards do not have a so-called general operating permit and cannot be used in road traffic. This may also apply to some e-scooters or e-scooters in individual cases. In general, the terms are not very clear: e-scooters are often called e-scooters – but scooters are also Vespa-style classic scooters and have been available with electric drive for a long time.
Usage is key
Although electric propulsion saves fossil fuels, the use of micromobility is much more important for the degree of sustainability. The ownership model, as ETH professor Kay Axhausen demonstrated in a study last year. It examined usage patterns as well as CO₂ emissions during the manufacture, operation and maintenance of scooters and bicycles.
Surprising: Privately owned e-scooters and e-bikes were used as alternatives to public transport or self-driving trips, thus effectively reducing CO₂ emissions. Shared e-bikes and scooters, on the other hand, were used in addition to other means of transport, such as cars, rather than walking short distances. They therefore do not replace larger, heavier and therefore more fuel-efficient means of transport, but instead come with CO₂ emissions.
Find out which type of micromobility is right for you and your needs at the E-Nova Mobility Experience mobility fair, held this weekend at Europaallee in Zurich from Friday 30 June to Sunday 2 July. Not only new electric cars, e-bikes or e-scooters are available for test drives here. A large number of exhibitors will also present their ideas for sustainable, efficient and affordable future micromobility.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
