BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Sustain. Cities
Sec. Urban Transportation Systems and Mobility
Everyday Usability of Speed Pedelecs: Qualitative Findings on Modal Shift, Interactions and Regulatory Issues in Germany
Provisionally accepted
- Hochschule RheinMain, Wiesbaden, Germany
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Speed pedelecs—electric bicycles with pedal support up to 45 km/h—have been identified as promising alternatives to car travel, particularly for commuting. However, their uptake in Germany is limited, potentially hindered by legal restrictions to their use of existing cycling infrastructure. This paper reports on qualitative interviews with eleven participants who tested speed pedelecs for several weeks in Tübingen, the first German city to create a designated speed pedelec network by opening up cycle infrastructure and agricultural roads. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of the speed pedelec testers and their perceptions of the speed pedelec as a potential replacement for more carbon-intense modes of transport. Thematic analysis produced four key themes: (1) Suitability for everyday life, including speed, independence, and commuting utility; (2) Cycling for body and mind, with benefits to physical and mental health; (3) Mixed interactions, reflecting tensions and coexistence with drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and (4) Questioning the status quo, with critiques of regulatory limitations and infrastructure. While participants successfully used the speed pedelecs to replace car or public transport trips and largely enjoyed using the bikes, barriers such as limited infrastructure, interactions with drivers, limited luggage transport and high costs hindered long-term adoption intentions. From the perspective of the speed pedelec testers, interactions with cyclists and pedestrians were generally positive, challenging the blanket ban of speed pedelecs on cycling paths and instead highlighting the need for attractive and safe infrastructure design for all types of active transport.
Keywords: Speed pedelecs, sustainable mobility, transportation systems, Electric Vehicles, mobility transition (Verkehrswende)
Received: 24 Sep 2025; Accepted: 12 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Keller, Grabherr and Lohmeier. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Martina Lohmeier, martina.lohmeier@hs-rm.de
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