Abstract
The electric bicycle is considered as an environmentally friendly mode, the market share of which is growing fast worldwide. Even in metropolitan areas which have a well-developed public transportation system, the usage of electric bicycles continues to grow. Compared with bicycles, the power transferred from the battery enables users to ride faster and have long-distance trips. However, research on electric bicycle travel behavior is inadequate. This paper proposes a cumulative prospect theory (CPT) framework to describe electric bicycle users’ mode choice behavior. Different from the long-standing use of utility theory, CPT considers travelers’ inconsistent risk attitudes. Six socioeconomic characteristics are chosen to discriminate conservative and adventurous electric bicycle users. Then, a CPT model is established which includes two parts: travel time and travel cost. We calculate the comprehensive cumulative prospect value (CPV) for four transportation modes (electric bicycle, bus, subway and private car) to predict electric bicycle users’ mode choice preference under different travel distance ranges. The model is further validated via survey data.
Highlights
In the past 20 years, the private ownership of electric bicycles has increased rapidly.China has the world’s largest electric bicycle market and is expected to have 300 million by 2025 [1]
On the basis of the six socioeconomic characteristics selected in this study, mode choice preference of electric bicycle users with different demographics were discussed and compared
We realized to what extent electric bicycles replaced the share of other modes of transportation and what role electric bicycles played in a comprehensive transportation system
Summary
In the past 20 years, the private ownership of electric bicycles has increased rapidly. China has the world’s largest electric bicycle market and is expected to have 300 million by 2025 [1]. Shanghai as an example: trips by electric bicycle accounted for 20.2% among all trips in. Aside from this, other regions of world, such as western Europe and North America, witnessed a significant rise in electric bicycle sales [3]. It illustrates that the electric bicycle has become an indispensable means of transportation in city transportation systems
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