Technology adoption of electric bicycles: A survey among early adopters

Results show that early adopters are predominantly comprised of persons aged 60 years or older who mainly use the e-bike for leisure trips. Carbon-intensive travel modes on commuting trips are barely substituted. Early adopters typically hold pro-environmental and technophile attitudes. E-bike use is most driven by perceived usefulness, which in turn depends on an easy use, appropriate infrastructure, also user's norms and attitudes towards environment and physical activity. Comparison by trip purpose shows that a supportive social environment and personal ecological norms influence e-bike use on work and shopping trips, whereas leisure use of e-bikes is driven by attitudes towards physical activity. Comparison by age groups underlines that older e-bike users are more dependent on practical usefulness of the technology and facilitating road infrastructure. Therefore, e-bike promotion strategies should differentiate between trip purpose and age segments when selecting target groups.