E-cargo Cycle pilot: Exploring the Opportunities and Barriers of Adopting E-cargo Cycle as a Sustainable Mobility Alternative

E-cargo cycles have become increasingly popular in many cities around the world. These cycles offer a cargo space that allows users to easily transport groceries, children, and pets, and they can cover longer distances compared to traditional bicycles. Although this new mobility option offers a viable alternative to car use, we do not know much about its large-scale adoption potential for personal use. Are people interested in adopting this new mobility option? Who are the potential user groups?
An important challenge in addressing these questions is that e-cargo cycles are expensive and relatively new, and many people have never seen or used them and are unfamiliar with their features. To address this, Our Greenway Conservancy (OGC), launched an innovative pilot program through the Zero Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative with funding from Natural Resources Canada. The Mobilizing Justice team is participating in this pilot to help evaluate the impacts of the awareness campaign. This initiative organized e-cargo cycles demonstration events at major public venues, parks, malls, and community centers across Toronto to allow community members to learn about and try out different models of e-cargo cycles. Participants had the opportunity to see them in person, receive important information about their features, and, when possible, gain firsthand experience by taking them for a test ride.

The key objectives of this pilot are as follows:

  1. To test whether demonstrations of e-cargo cycles influence people’s willingness to adopt them for personal use.
  2. To examine the potential of e-cargo cycles to replace automobile trips.
    • Who are the potential user groups?
    • What types of trips could be substituted by e-cargo cycles?
    • What are the barriers to adopting e-cargo cycles?

Timelines

July 2023 – November 2023Demonstration events and on-site data collection
January 2024 – March 2024Follow-up survey (participants of demonstration events)
April 2024 – August 2024Demonstration events and on-site data collection
October 2024 – December 2024Follow-up survey (participants of demonstration events)
January 2025 – February 2025City-wide survey (Toronto residents)
March 2025 – August 2025Final data analysis, presentations, publications

Participating Partners

Darnel Harris – Our Greenway Conservancy
Diana Guzman – Our Greenway Conservancy
Professor Steven Farber (University of Toronto)
Mashrur Rahman (University of Toronto)