Who uses e-bikes in the UK and why?

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of respondents (some questions not answered by all).

	N	%
Currently using e-bike	1217	58.2%
Previously used e-bike	130	6.2%
Considering e-bike purchase	425	20.3%
Considering e-bike hire	157	7.5%
Previously considered e-bike	163	7.8%
Total	2092	100.0%
Gender - Female	630	30.1%
Age: > 61	821	39.6%
Age: 41 − 60	915	44.1%
Age: < 41	339	16.3%
Employed full-time	738	39.6%
Degree education	1168	55.8%
Income: > £55k	634	30.3%
Income: £25 to £55k	901	43.1%
Income: <£25k	487	23.3%
Children in household	504	24.1%
Car always available	1513	80.6%
Car sometimes available	289	15.4%
Car never available	76	4.0%

Table 2. Reasons for buying or considering buying an e-bike (multiple options allowed).

	Current Owners		Considering
	N	%	N	%
For exercise	697	60.9%*	172	40.5%
Because it might be fun	414	36.2%	130	30.6%
For journeys that are too long for riding a conventional bike	447	39.0%	170	40.0%
or journeys that cannot reasonably be made by public transport	190	16.6%	77	18.1%
To avoid car parking problems or costs	300	26.2%	98	23.1%
It is less effort to ride than a conventional bike	622	54.3%*	193	45.4%
It is easier to use a child seat/trailer than with a conventional bike	70	6.1%	23	5.4%
For shopping	264	23.1%*	74	17.4%
For carrying other items (apart from shopping)	135	11.8%*	27	6.4%
It is less expensive than driving	287	25.1%	101	23.8%
It is less expensive than public transport	176	15.4%	73	17.2%
For environmental reasons	359	31.4%	144	33.9%
I am physically unable to ride a conventional bike for long	283	24.7%	100	23.5%
Other reason	239	20.9%	95	22.4%
Total	1145	100.0%	425	100.0%

*statistically significant at 95% confidence level.

Table 3. Non-work uses of e-bikes (multiple options allowed).

	N	%
Just for the pleasure of the ride	916	82.4%
Shopping	605	54.4%
Visiting friends or relatives	475	42.7%
Going out in the evening	281	25.3%
Carrying other items (apart from shopping)	222	20.0%
Carrying children	95	8.5%
Accompanying children	78	7.0%
Education or training	51	4.6%
Other reason	170	15.3%
Total	1112	100.0%

Figure 1. Frequency of use of e-bikes (N = 1347) and conventional bikes (N = 853) amongst e-bike users.

Table 4. How would you compare your riding an e-bike with riding a conventional cycle?

	Much less	Less	Same or N/A	More	Much more	N
I ride longer distances	8.4%	9.5%	17.5%	23.0%	41.6%	548
I avoid hills	22.4%	39.7%	32.7%	2.6%	2.6%	539
I avoid riding in bad weather	5.6%	17.0%	72.8%	2.8%	1.9%	540
I avoid main roads	3.5%	14.1%	77.1%	2.6%	2.7%	546
I avoid riding in the dark	3.3%	8.3%	84.4%	2.4%	1.5%	540
I feel vulnerable at junctions	7.2%	15.2%	75.1%	2.0%	0.4%	539
People I know think I am strange	0.7%	2.0%	82.7%	10.2%	4.3%	537
I feel I am cheating	0.2%	0.6%	81.4%	15.3%	2.6%	531

Figure 2. Main commute modes of the employed or self-employed respondents (N = 1224).

Table 5. Why do you commute by e-bike?

	N	%
My journey is hilly – it is easier than riding a conventional bike	319	58.9%
For environmental reasons	238	43.9%
It is less expensive than driving	237	43.7%
Because I sweat less than I do riding a conventional bike	222	41.0%
It is the quickest way of getting to work	211	38.9%
It is the most predictable way of getting to/from work by a certain time	177	32.7%
It is less expensive than public transport	164	30.3%
I use the e-bike partly because of the cycle paths on my route to work	146	26.9%
The journey is too long for riding a conventional bike	116	21.4%
To avoid paying for parking	106	19.6%
There is no reasonable way for me to get to work by public transport	78	14.4%
So I can carry heavy items	56	10.3%
To drop off or pick up children on my way to/from work	40	7.4%
Other reason	104	19.2%
Total	542	100.0%

Table 6. Before you started commuting by e-bike, what was your main commute mode?.

Previous main commute mode:	Present frequency of commuting by e-bike:
	Occasionally		Mostly		Always		All
Cycle (conventional)	31	18.3%	43	28.7%	73	50.7%	147	31.7%
Driving a car or van	108	63.9%	67	44.7%	32	22.2%	207	44.7%
Other	30	17.8%	40	26.7%	39	27.1%	109	23.5%
Total	169	100.0%	150	100.0%	144	100.0%	463	100.0%

Table 7. For what type of work travel have you used an e-bike?.

	N	%
Travel to meetings	154	62.9%
Travel between different locations where my work is sometimes based	122	49.8%
Travel to visit clients	84	34.3%
For collections and deliveries	48	19.6%
Other	20	8.2%
Total	245	100.0%

Figure 3. Frequency of e-bike work travel over the past month (N = 245).

Table 8. Demographic differences by gender.

	Female	Male	π^2	ρ
Over 61	30.6%	43.7%	31.20	<0.001
Employed	70.1%	60.9%	14.56	<0.001
Degree educated	70.2%	49.5%	75.40	<0.001

Table 9. Gender difference regression (all significant in bivariate π² tests – not shown).

	Female	Male	N	β	ρ	Odds
Bought e-bike:
For exercise	55.8%	63.5%	1145	−0.215	0.142	0.806
For fun	29.9%	39.0%	1145	−0.325	0.036	0.723
For parking reasons	30.8%	24.4%	1145	0.158	0.332	1.171
For environmental reasons	40.8%	27.7%	1145	0.332	0.030	1.393
Because physically unable	31.2%	22.2%	1145	0.584	>0.001	1.793
Use e-bike:
For shopping	61.7%	51.0%	1150	0.249	0.085	1.283
To visit friends/relatives	49.2%	39.6%	1150	−0.208	0.257	0.812
To carry children	12.1%	7.1%	1150	−0.147	0.606	0.864
Just for the pleasure	77.9%	84.6%	1150	−0.170	0.334	0.844
Commuting:
Mainly drive	28.6%	38.7%	1207	−0.233	0.117	0.792
Mainly walk	6.2%	3.0%	1207	0.654	0.044	1.923
E-bike and sometimes by motorbike	1.0%	10.3%	320	−2.517	0.020	0.081
E-bike and sometimes as car passenger	13.5%	4.7%	320	1.061	0.045	2.888
E-bike and sometimes walk	24.0%	12.7%	320	0.652	0.086	1.920
E-bike and other modes in bad weather	59.6%	46.0%	320	0.554	0.074	1.740
E-bike because of hills	74.4%	54.3%	464	0.629	0.012	1.876
E-bike because of parking	28.2%	16.0%	464	0.563	0.044	1.755
E-bike for environmental reasons	54.5%	41.3%	464	0.299	0.202	1.349
E-bike because of cycle paths	19.9%	34.7%	464	−0.491	0.077	0.612
Detour to avoid heavy traffic	32.7%	21.3%	463	0.457	0.081	1.579
Use segregated cycle paths	50.6%	64.0%	463	−0.205	0.423	0.815
Not bought e-bike because enjoy cycling	58.8%	78.7%	157	0.396	0.136	1.486