IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v11y2018i7p1894-d159008.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Electric Bicycle: Worldwide Research Trends

Author

Listed:
  • Esther Salmeron-Manzano

    (Faculty of Legal, Social and Human Sciences, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), Av. de la Paz, 137, 26006 Logroño, Spain)

  • Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro

    (Department of Engineering, University of Almeria, ceiA3, 04120 Almeria, Spain)

Abstract

The bicycle has gone from being an old-fashioned recreational product to a less polluting means of transport and a compact, ultra-light personal mobility tool. This is how electrical bicycles will be used as the pillar that could support individual public transport in large cities worldwide. The objective of this manuscript is to detect how worldwide research on the electric bicycle is being developed, and, especially, around which scientific domains is it clustered, to finally identify the main trends in the field. This study has been carried out based on the Scopus database, where all the publications related to the topic of the electric bicycle have been analyzed up to the year 2017. ¨Therefore, research on the global research trends of this topic was conducted. Its evolution over time shows that since 2008 the growth of publications is much higher than in the previous period. The main countries are China and the USA, and it can be inferred that there are two major trend countries with high environmental awareness, which also have a large population and that the electric bicycle is a suitable and sustainable form of transport. Among the main scientific fields, engineering leads in research. The keyword analysis shows that the central theme is electric, then battery and motor stand out. A community detection was applied to detect the six main clusters of this research, largely dedicated to the following topics: Transportation–Environment, Electrical Engineering, Safety, Batteries, Sporting Goods–Urban Planning, and Mechanical Engineering. This manuscript shows that global research trends about the electric bicycle are increasing, and that it should be considered a means of sustainable urban transport and will therefore contribute to energy saving and sustainable energy.

Suggested Citation

  • Esther Salmeron-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "The Electric Bicycle: Worldwide Research Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:11:y:2018:i:7:p:1894-:d:159008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/7/1894/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/7/1894/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elliot Fishman & Christopher Cherry, 2016. "E-bikes in the Mainstream: Reviewing a Decade of Research," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 72-91, January.
    2. Dalia El Khaled & Nuria Novas & Jose-Antonio Gazquez & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "Dielectric and Bioimpedance Research Studies: A Scientometric Approach Using the Scopus Database," Publications, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Estela Gimenez & Maria Salinas & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "Worldwide Research on Plant Defense against Biotic Stresses as Improvement for Sustainable Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-19, February.
    4. Carmen De la Cruz-Lovera & Alberto-Jesús Perea-Moreno & José-Luis De la Cruz-Fernández & José Antonio Alvarez-Bermejo & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2017. "Worldwide Research on Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Public Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-20, July.
    5. Elliot Fishman, 2016. "Bikeshare: A Review of Recent Literature," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 92-113, January.
    6. Bingtuan Gao & Wenhu Zhang & Yi Tang & Mingjin Hu & Mingcheng Zhu & Huiyu Zhan, 2014. "Game-Theoretic Energy Management for Residential Users with Dischargeable Plug-in Electric Vehicles," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-20, November.
    7. Cherry, Christopher R. & Weinert, Jonathan X. & Yang, Xinmiao, 2009. "Comparative Environmental Impacts of Electric Bikes in China," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt16k918sh, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    8. Jonathan Weinert & Chaktan Ma & Christopher Cherry, 2007. "The transition to electric bikes in China: history and key reasons for rapid growth," Transportation, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 301-318, May.
    9. Nees Jan Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2017. "Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(2), pages 1053-1070, May.
    10. Cherry, Christopher & Cervero, Robert, 2007. "Use characteristics and mode choice behavior of electric bike users in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 247-257, May.
    11. Philippe Mongeon & Adèle Paul-Hus, 2016. "The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: a comparative analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 106(1), pages 213-228, January.
    12. Wolf, Angelika & Seebauer, Sebastian, 2014. "Technology adoption of electric bicycles: A survey among early adopters," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 196-211.
    13. Nees Jan Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2010. "Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 523-538, August.
    14. Hernández-Escobedo, Quetzalcoatl & Perea-Moreno, Alberto-Jesús & Manzano-Agugliaro, Francisco, 2018. "Wind energy research in Mexico," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 719-729.
    15. Gianluca Marinaro & Zhuangying Xu & Zhengpu Chen & Chenxi Li & Yizhou Mao & Andrea Vacca, 2018. "The PurdueTracer: An Energy-Efficient Human-Powered Hydraulic Bicycle with Flexible Operation and Software Aids," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-24, January.
    16. Geoffrey Rose, 2012. "E-bikes and urban transportation: emerging issues and unresolved questions," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 81-96, January.
    17. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2017. "Worldwide Scientific Production Indexed by Scopus on Labour Relations," Publications, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-14, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Carmen Marín-Buzón & Antonio Pérez-Romero & José Luis López-Castro & Imed Ben Jerbania & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2021. "Photogrammetry as a New Scientific Tool in Archaeology: Worldwide Research Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-27, May.
    2. Francisca Alcayde-García & Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Miguel A. Montero & Alfredo Alcayde & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2022. "Power Transmission Lines: Worldwide Research Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Mihai Machedon-Pisu & Paul Nicolae Borza, 2019. "Are Personal Electric Vehicles Sustainable? A Hybrid E-Bike Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-24, December.
    4. Ecer, Fatih & Küçükönder, Hande & Kayapınar Kaya, Sema & Faruk Görçün, Ömer, 2023. "Sustainability performance analysis of micro-mobility solutions in urban transportation with a novel IVFNN-Delphi-LOPCOW-CoCoSo framework," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    5. Anna Brdulak & Grażyna Chaberek & Jacek Jagodziński, 2020. "Determination of Electricity Demand by Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs): An Example of e-Motor Scooters in the Context of Large City Management in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Wojciech Sałabun & Krzysztof Palczewski & Jarosław Wątróbski, 2019. "Multicriteria Approach to Sustainable Transport Evaluation under Incomplete Knowledge: Electric Bikes Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, June.
    7. Mila Cascajares & Alfredo Alcayde & José Antonio Garrido-Cardenas & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2020. "The Contribution of Spanish Science to Patents: Medicine as Case of Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-24, May.
    8. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "Unaccompanied Minors: Worldwide Research Perspectives," Publications, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, December.
    9. José Antonio Garrido-Cardenas & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro & Lilia González-Cerón & Francisco Gil-Montoya & Alfredo Alcayde-Garcia & Nuria Novas & Concepción Mesa-Valle, 2018. "The Identification of Scientific Communities and Their Approach to Worldwide Malaria Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-14, November.
    10. Ba Hung, Nguyen & Lim, Ocktaeck, 2019. "The effects of operating conditions and structural parameters on the dynamic, electric consumption and power generation characteristics of an electric assisted bicycle," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 247(C), pages 285-296.
    11. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "The Higher Education Sustainability through Virtual Laboratories: The Spanish University as Case of Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-22, November.
    12. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2019. "The Role of Smart Contracts in Sustainability: Worldwide Research Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, May.
    13. Nenad Djokic & Nikola Milicevic & Branimir Kalas & Ines Djokic & Vera Mirovic, 2023. "E-Bicycle as a Green and Physically Active Mode of Transport from the Aspect of Students: TPB and Financial Incentives," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-11, January.
    14. Ugo N. Castañon & Paulo J. G. Ribeiro, 2021. "Bikeability and Emerging Phenomena in Cycling: Exploratory Analysis and Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-21, February.
    15. Jadwiga Biegańska & Elżbieta Grzelak-Kostulska & Michał Adam Kwiatkowski, 2021. "A Typology of Attitudes towards the E-Bike against the Background of the Traditional Bicycle and the Car," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-21, December.
    16. Paweł Ziemba & Izabela Gago, 2022. "Compromise Multi-Criteria Selection of E-Scooters for the Vehicle Sharing System in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-26, July.
    17. Esther Salmerón-Manzano, 2021. "Legaltech and Lawtech: Global Perspectives, Challenges, and Opportunities," Laws, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-9, April.
    18. Aron Laxdal & Bjørn Tore Johansen & Elling Bere & Bård Erlend Solstad, 2022. "Towards More Sustainable Sports: Analyzing the Travel Behavior of Adolescent Soccer Players in Southern Norway," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-7, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "The Higher Education Sustainability through Virtual Laboratories: The Spanish University as Case of Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-22, November.
    2. Thomas, Alainna, 2016. "A More Sustainable Minivan? An Exploratory Study of Electric Bicycle Use by San Francisco Bay Area Families," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt6g79m3xx, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    3. Steve O’Hern & Nora Estgfaeller, 2020. "A Scientometric Review of Powered Micromobility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-21, November.
    4. Ziwen Ling & Christopher R. Cherry & John H. MacArthur & Jonathan X. Weinert, 2017. "Differences of Cycling Experiences and Perceptions between E-Bike and Bicycle Users in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Elliot Fishman & Christopher Cherry, 2016. "E-bikes in the Mainstream: Reviewing a Decade of Research," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 72-91, January.
    6. Luisa F. Cabeza & Marta Chàfer & Érika Mata, 2020. "Comparative Analysis of Web of Science and Scopus on the Energy Efficiency and Climate Impact of Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-24, January.
    7. Jones, Tim & Harms, Lucas & Heinen, Eva, 2016. "Motives, perceptions and experiences of electric bicycle owners and implications for health, wellbeing and mobility," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 41-49.
    8. Miguel-Angel Perea-Moreno & Quetzalcoatl Hernandez-Escobedo & Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno, 2018. "Renewable Energy in Urban Areas: Worldwide Research Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-19, March.
    9. Yide Liu & Ivan Ka Wai Lai, 2020. "The Effects of Environmental Policy and the Perception of Electric Motorcycles on the Acceptance of Electric Motorcycles: An Empirical Study in Macau," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440198, January.
    10. Wells, Peter & Lin, Xiao, 2015. "Spontaneous emergence versus technology management in sustainable mobility transitions: Electric bicycles in China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 371-383.
    11. Zhao, Chunli & Nielsen, Thomas Alexander Sick & Olafsson, Anton Stahl & Carstensen, Trine Agervig & Meng, Xiaoying, 2018. "Urban form, demographic and socio-economic correlates of walking, cycling, and e-biking: Evidence from eight neighborhoods in Beijing," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 102-112.
    12. Ugo N. Castañon & Paulo J. G. Ribeiro, 2021. "Bikeability and Emerging Phenomena in Cycling: Exploratory Analysis and Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-21, February.
    13. José Antonio Garrido-Cardenas & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro & Lilia González-Cerón & Francisco Gil-Montoya & Alfredo Alcayde-Garcia & Nuria Novas & Concepción Mesa-Valle, 2018. "The Identification of Scientific Communities and Their Approach to Worldwide Malaria Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-14, November.
    14. P. K. Priyan & Wakara Ibrahimu Nyabakora & Geofrey Rwezimula, 2023. "A bibliometric review of the knowledge base on financial inclusion," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 1-21, February.
    15. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2019. "The Role of Smart Contracts in Sustainability: Worldwide Research Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, May.
    16. Quddus Tushar & Guomin Zhang & Satheeskumar Navaratnam & Muhammed A. Bhuiyan & Lei Hou & Filippo Giustozzi, 2023. "A Review of Evaluative Measures of Carbon-Neutral Buildings: The Bibliometric and Science Mapping Analysis towards Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-31, October.
    17. P. K. Priyan & Wakara Ibrahimu Nyabakora & Geofrey Rwezimula, 2023. "A Bibliometric Review of the Knowledge Base on Capital Structure Decisions," Vision, , vol. 27(2), pages 155-166, April.
    18. Cherry, Christopher R. & Yang, Hongtai & Jones, Luke R. & He, Min, 2016. "Dynamics of electric bike ownership and use in Kunming, China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 127-135.
    19. Eccarius, Timo & Leung, Abraham & Shen, Chung-Wei & Burke, Matthew & Lu, Chung-Cheng, 2021. "Prospects for shared electric velomobility: Profiling potential adopters at a multi-campus university," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    20. Jin, Sheng & Qu, Xiaobo & Zhou, Dan & Xu, Cheng & Ma, Dongfang & Wang, Dianhai, 2015. "Estimating cycleway capacity and bicycle equivalent unit for electric bicycles," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 225-248.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:11:y:2018:i:7:p:1894-:d:159008. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.