Micromobility is an umbrella term that includes a variety of small electric vehicles (e-bikes, e-scooters, electric golf carts, e-skateboards, etc.).
In essence, micromobility can be defined as “personal mobility”– the focus of the vehicle is to move a person.
If you’re thinking that’s the case for every vehicle, keep in mind that full-size vehicles moving a single person are wasting 80% of the space available in the car. This means that the energy required to move 2 tons of steel is mostly unnecessary.
When we think of transportation making up 38% of all US carbon dioxide emissions and personal vehicles making up 58% of transportation emissions, it starts to become apparent that we need to find new ways to think about personal transportation.
Full-size vehicles are used as a catch-all for all sorts of trips (short trips, long trips, daily commutes, transporting a single person, a car full of people, or moving cargo). Using the same size vehicle for all of these purposes means you have a high baseline of energy usage whether you’re traveling solo or using all of the functionality of your 5-seater.
We already use larger, shared transportation options for longer trips by taking planes, trains, and buses. The next step is de-coupling the full-size vehicle from short, single-person trips.
With 50% of all personal vehicle trips clocking in at fewer than 5 miles, and another 20% between 5-10 miles, micromobility solutions could be employed for up to 70% of all trips in a personal vehicle. Even if every driver switched to an EV, we’re looking at rising transportation emissions. But with a combination of EVs and micromobility options for trips that make sense, we could see massive emissions reductions in the transportation sector.
In addition to emissions reductions, more micromobility means:
For the latest on micromobility incentives, keep an eye on ridereview.com’s interactive Incentive Tracker map. In Oregon, there are only a few local incentives at the moment, but the trend is on the rise.
Oregon HB 2571, which would provide between $1,200-$1,700 for purchase of an e-bike, is currently going through state legislature.
On the Federal side, the E-BIKE Act was just re-introduced last week and would provide a tax credit for 30%of the cost of an e-bike, up to $1,500.
Create a workplace e-bike subsidy program with Spring Forward! We’ll help you by:
Not only will your employees see a micromobility discount as a perk of the job, but will find easier parking and a lower environmental impact as a great motivator to get back into the office. You can be part of the growing momentum to push our cities to provide better infrastructure for bikes and small vehicles, and help your employees at the same time. Contact us to create a plan that works for you!
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