RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The electric bikes available at the orange stations have risen in favor among Cariocas, even if the rides are slightly more expensive. A study prepared by Tembici in collaboration with Labmob/UFRJ, Aliança Bike, and Agência Giz shows that the number of trips made on e-bikes increased by 33% between January and June this year.
In the second quarter of this year alone, the total number of users of “electric scooters” of the app Bike Rio increased by 26%.
For 12% of the Cariocas surveyed, the introduction of electric models has led them to travel long distances that they did not previously travel on a conventional bicycle, including a distance between two subway stations with a steep incline: Largo do Machado and Praça David Ben Gurion, in Laranjeiras.
In addition, the users of e-bikes indicate that the great advantages of this model are the reduction in riding time, physical fatigue and sweating, and the increase in agility when pedaling.
The study also found that the number of commuters using electric models to get to and from work increases, reducing the need to combine the bike with another mode of transportation, such as the bus or subway.
The electric bikes were launched in Rio last September with an initial investment of ten million reais. Those who take out a monthly subscription are entitled to four rides on a conventional bicycle.
If you choose the electric model, you are charged three reais every fifteen minutes. A single ride of up to fifteen minutes costs 3 reais for both models.