Electrically assisted bikes ("E-bikes") are becoming increasingly popular. They account for 45% of adult bicycles sold in Switzerland, and 20% of households will own at least one in 2021 (7% in 2015). However, little is known about their impact on mobility.

Most research focuses on the modes of transport that e-bikes replace ("immediate" modal shift). We are taking a broader, innovative approach to modal shift through three perspectives to understand how e-bikess fit into (1) the transport system (systemic approach), (2) individuals' mobility biographies (life-course approach) and (3) their daily organization (lifestyle approach).

The project is based on a nationally representative survey (n=1000 users), a complementary online survey (logbook documenting e-bikes journeys) and in-depth interviews (n=30). It aims to create a typology of e-bikes users, understand the multiple dimensions of modal shift (motivations, uses, substitution, renunciation, etc.) and identify measures to enable their full potential to be utilized.