Sales of electrically assisted bicycles (e-bikes) have risen significantly in Europe. Almost all e-bikes provide assistance up to 25 km/h (“pedelecs”), but in Switzerland, more than 10% are speed pedelecs (s-pedelecs) offering assistance up to 45 km/h. Due to their increased speed, s-pedelecs hold great potential for long-range trips outside urban areas. Yet, to date, they have received very little academic attention. This exploratory paper fills this gap by questioning the place S-pedelecs have, compared to pedelecs, among transport modes and to what extent their greater speed can help them compete with cars more efficiently than pedelecs? We address in this paper, for both pedelecs and S-pedelecs users, the demographic characteristics, motivations for purchasing, travel patterns, as well as the modal shift effects. It draws on a survey conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland, among users of n=215 s-pedelecs and n=1205 pedelecs.
Compared to regular e-bikers, s-pedelec users are more likely to be male, but otherwise share similar motivations to riding their e-bike. S-pedelecs are often used for long-distance commuting and compete more with cars and motorised two-wheelers. As a result, 60% of s-pedelec owners use a car less, and 20% decided to give up car ownership. Regression models confirms these results. Given the potential of s-pedelecs to replace motorised modes, we recommend devoting more attention to the development of infrastructure, such as interurban cycle highways, to accommodate them on a metropolitan scale.