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29 Jul 2022 | 3 min read
“The multiple launches of e-bike services reveal that the shared micromobility market is maturing.” – Fluctuo
Cities around the world are seeing a shift in the way people are getting around. With the covid-19 recovery, e-bikes sales in Europe and US reached the highest peak ever recorded. E-bike sharing is becoming more and more popular, it is one of the quickest, green, and most efficient ways to get around town. In this article, we will take a closer look at the e-bike sharing trend growth.
E-bike sharing is a system where e-bikes are made available for short-term use.
These services, which can be either provided by municipalities or by private corporations, require users to return the e-bike to a designated station (station based model), while others allow users to leave the e-bike anywhere within the service area, (free floating model). The e-bikes wave is increasingly spreading around big and small cities since they provide power assistance to the rider, making it easier to pedal over long distances while producing, in its small way, a green impact.
There are many reasons why bike sharing is becoming popular in cities. Firstly, e-bike sharing is a sustainable mode of transportation. E-bikes produce zero emissions, which is good for both the environment and public health.
Additionally, e-bikes services made riding to work and living the city way more comfortable and cheaper rather than owning and maintaining a private vehicle. And also cheaper than other modes of transportation, such as taking a taxi or Uber.
E-bike sharing works as a more flexible form of public transport (and with public transport too), which is perfect for those who don’t have, or don’t want, a car.
These benefits have been compounded by the social distancing needs of the pandemic. Biking is a great way to get around while still maintaining a safe distance from others.
The global e-bike sharing market was valued at $3.43 billion in 2019, but its recent rise in popularity means it is projected to reach $6.98 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 14.0% from 2020 to 2027.
Italian glimpse 👀🇮🇹🚲
E-bike sharing has experienced a boom in Italy.
E-bike sharing is the most popular sharing mobility service in Italy, around 2.5 million Italians used an e-bike sharing service in 2021, and together with scooters, it is the service that has shown the most marked upturn once the lockdown period ended.
The number of available e-bikes in Italy has tripled since 2015, and currently, 265 municipalities and other local authorities have e-bike sharing schemes active, the overall number of shared bikes in Italy is 39,500.
What is clear is that bike sharing is riding the wave to get around cities, with the number of e-bike sharing schemes and available e-bikes continuing to pop up around.
This is partly due to the fact that electric bikes make cycling easier and more accessible for a wider range of people, including those who do not need to travel long distances, but still want to make the most of the convenience and swiftness of such a service.
The coverage in Italy goes from the top to the heel, from Milan to Venice, from Rome to Naples, and Sicily. It’s easier to say that in every region you visit, there is sure to be an e-bike at your disposal!
A gaze at Europe 🇪🇺
Europe alone hosts 41% of all bike sharing services.
Several European operators have launched e-bike sharing services to jump into 2022 with a head start and more than 13,000 new free floating e-bikes have hit the streets of Europe just in the last six months.
In 2020, the market of e-bikes in Europe had an estimated value of $8.01 billion. The projection for 2026 is $16.58 billion.
Clearly, the benefits of such vehicles have played a major role in the popularity of e-bikes sharing around. The acknowledged benefits are:
With the rapid rise in market value, more and more e-bike sharing schemes are likely to spring up in the coming years. This is good news for those of us who want to see more sustainable, emission-free transportation options made available to the public, not only in big city centers, but also suburban areas with lack of efficient transportation.
E-bike sharing comes with: inclusivity in enabling connection between city centers and surrounding areas and relieving traffic jams while facilitating transport for citizens.
With this data and facts at hand, we can say that e-bike sharing is here to stay, and its spread shows no signs of weakening 🚀
Sales and Marketing Associate at 2hire
I love running and daydreaming losing count of the distance I’m covering, cooking (and especially eating) and Drake is my spirit guide.
