Table 4.

Future research priorities for understanding e-bike use and travel behaviour.

Research priority	Why required
Objective measures of e-bike use and travel behaviour using GPS or smartphone tracking prior to and during e-bike access to quantify the impact of e-bikes on travel behaviour	Current evidence relies primarily on self-report, retrospective measures of travel behaviour
Longitudinal research to examine the causal impact of individual, social and physical determinants associated with e-bike use and travel behaviour	Current evidence provides a qualitative understanding of potential determinants of e-cycling. No studies have examined the individual, social and physical factors directly associated with e-bike use and travel behaviour through quantitative estimates
Research to examine the effect of e-bike availability on travel behaviour by age, sex and socio-economic status	Few studies have examined the impact of demographic outcomes on e-bike use, travel behaviour or the purpose of use
Experimental research to examine effects of e-bike availability on travel behaviour in individuals less familiar with e-cycling	Most of the research to date has been conducted with e-bike owners or those familiar with cycling. Individuals unaccustomed to e-cycling will likely display different patterns of use and possess different attitudes and experiences of e-cycling
Research to examine the potential of e-bikes to serve as company vehicles and replace cars or light goods vehicles for deliveries	Limited research in this area. This is an important area of research as 36% of all car journeys made in England in 2017 were for commuting or business purposes and light commercial vehicles were the faster growing motor vehicle in the UK in the last 25 years
Evaluation of the addition of e-bikes to bike share systems and their impact on alternative transport	Limited research in this area. It is important to ascertain whether the provision of these, more expensive products, is a valuable strategy to increase bike use