GO PEDELEC! - Go Pedelec!
Overview
Background & policy context:
The slogan "Go Pedelec!" is the name of a EU co-financed project, carried out by four municipalities, three non-profit-organizations and three private companies. The common goal of these ten partners from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands is to raise awareness about pedelecs among citizens as well as among municipal decision makers.
Objectives:
Focus of the project is a special type of electric two-wheelers so-called "pedelecs": electric motor assisted bicycles which are never powered solely by the motor, but the motor is just supporting the pedalling cyclist, e.g. doubling his current muscle power contribution. Compared to other electric vehicles, this concept has the following advantages:
Because of the lightweight construction and the muscle power of the driver, pedelecs have the lowest energy consumption of all motorised vehicles of private transport, their consumption of primary energy is 20 times less than that of a car.
Riding a pedelec is as simple as cycling – as far as the motor just increases the pedal power proportionally, there are no additional controls, just pedalling gets easier. Thanks to the pedal drive you always get home, even if your battery is empty. The necessity to pedal in spite of the assisting motor is better for health and makes rides in winter warmer, than on a moped.
In comparison to a conventional bicycle, the assisting electric drive of a pedelec is of the following use, justifying the higher price:
- Slopes are easy to overcome.
- Because of higher speed, more destinations are accessible in convenient time.
- Business clothing is not stained by sweat.
Methodology:
The project first assesses the current state of the art and the trends of the international market of electric vehicles (WP2) with a focus on electric two-wheeled vehicles, informs municipal decision makers (target group 1) on the results in especially designed Road-Show Information Days (WP3) held in 5 partner countries. The road-show part of these days is also open to citizens (target group 2). The Road-Show Information Days provide for information on the state of the art of electric vehicles to target group 1 and allows for experience exchange about past, current and planned municipal activities on electric vehicles. At a European level (beyond the scope of the project partner countries) dissemination and information relies on the large network of ’Cities for Mobility’ (represented twice in the consortium) and on the use of a brochure ’Electric Vehicles in Urban Transport Systems’ and of a handbook "Pedelecs" (accessible to both target groups). In WP4 the project builds capacities for continuing the information of municipal decision on electric vehicles beyond the project’s lifetime in several European countries (not only the partner countries).
Share this page