The "Bads" and "Goods" of E-Bike Mobility Development in China

The goal of this talk is to present some findings related to the ongoing project "Low Carbon Innovation in China", specifically to the prospects of  e-bike use as a form of urban mobility in China. E-bikes in China are the most visible form of  electric vehicles used  for individual transportation.  However the use of e-bikes  in some big cities and their central districts (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) has been  strictly regulated or banned. E-bikes nevertheless remain a popular mode of  mobility even in these cities: when used as  private transport, when used for hire for short trips (e-bike rickshaws)  and used as specialized delivery vehicles. In Shenzhen the ban of e-bikes  has much to do with the city's and central government attempts to construct the image of Shenzhen as a high-tech innovation hub, where e-bikes are not associated with innovation and thus should be invisible. In Beijing the e-bike users are seen by the car-drivers as transportation for people with "low quality".  The talk will discuss 1)various  "bads" and "goods"  of e-mobility as seen primarily by e-bike users and opponents to its use in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing and 2) potential scenarios of e-bike mobility development in China.