A survey of German cargo bike users has revealed that they are viewed by some as a practical replacement for the car, with many noting the environment as the main reason for their choice.

Source: Fietsberaad

The Technical University of Berlin arranged for approximately 2,400 shared cargo bike users from Germany to participate in its questionnaire. Three-quarters of these respondents lived in a large city and about half did not own a car.

Results showed that 7-18% of respondents had either gotten rid of, or not bought, a car since they began using a cargo bike, with 80% of them citing the environment as their biggest reason, followed by half stating financial reasons, and over 40% stating that they weren’t interested in driving.

Study results also showed the cargo bike received better scores than the car on aspects such as environmental friendliness, raw material usage, greenhouse gas emissions, sense of freedom, flexibility, and price. Meanwhile, the car scored higher on functional aspects including road safety, speed, comfort, and weather dependence.

The results of this study were published in January for the scientific journal Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behavior.