Keeping people cycling with the private e-cargo bike

Keeping people cycling with the private e-cargo bike

Behavioural Insights for Policy series: Policy recommendations 

Year: 2025 

Topic: Sustainable mobility

Methodology: Mixed-methods 

Author: SEAI Behavioural Economics Unit  

Summary 

A major stated climate policy goal is to encourage and facilitate members of the population to use sustainable transport modes instead of the private car. In light of revised climate action policy targets to reduce total car kilometres travelled by 20% and increase daily active travel journeys by 50% in Ireland by 2030, the promotion and proliferation of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes (both owned and shared) as a feasible alternative the private car has been highlighted. In particular, measures have been proposed to enable increased access and ownership of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes as a private car alternative for Irish citizens.

This policy brief summarises recommendations based on interviews exploring how e-cargo cycling might change the experience of cycle and road networks in Ireland and an online survey of private e-cargo bike owners based on the island of Ireland. Recommendations are grouped under three areas of policy and planning that could help to develop Ireland’s future private e-cargo bike system: ownership, parking, and mobility. Tackling the “systemic sticking points” in these spheres of action could help to unlock future demand for private e-cargo bikes for everyday mobility, by reconfiguring the financial viability, parking security, and everyday comfort and convenience of an ECB relative to the private car.