S-PE(N)DELEC
| Project name: | S-Pe(n)delec |
| Faculty: | FB A+B, Fachgruppe Mobilitätsmanagement (MoMa) |
| Head: | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martina Lohmeier |
| Project participants: | Dr. Elias Keller |
| Project partners: | Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da), University City of Tübingen |
| Type of research: | In-house research |
| First project or follow-up project: | First project |
| Duration: | 05/2023 - 12/2025 |
| Funding institution or client: | BMDV-Stiftungsprofessur Radverkehr |
| Research focus: | Traffic planning and behavioral science assessment of the release of cycling infrastructure for S-pedelecs in existing buildings |
| Publication form: | Presentations and final report |
Project description
The average commuting distance in Germany is around 14 km. The conventional bicycle is therefore only attractive for a limited group of people. The situation is different for pedelecs. This applies all the more to speed pedelecs (S-pedelecs for short), which offer pedal assistance up to 45 km/h. Legislation classifies S-pedelecs as mopeds, with the corresponding framework conditions to be observed. The use of an S-pedelec is only permitted with a valid category AM or B driving license, subject to the obligation to wear a helmet. A motor vehicle liability insurance policy must be in place for operation and an insurance license plate must be affixed. In Germany, however, S-pedelecs have so far only seen limited use. S-pedelecs must be used on the road in Germany, with the exception that "S-pedelec free" signs are in place. In this case, S-pedelecs may also use the cycling infrastructure. The university city of Tübingen, based on a decree from the highest traffic authority in Baden-Württemberg, already has an extensive network of cycle traffic facilities approved for S-pedelecs in the surrounding area.
The project investigates the infrastructural, technical, behavioral and legal framework conditions under which S-pedelecs can contribute to the mobility transition and the extent to which test subjects are willing to use such a bicycle for everyday journeys. As part of this, Hochschule RheinMain is conducting a traffic trial in cooperation with Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences and the university city of Tübingen, in which volunteers can test an S-pedelec in everyday life over a period of several weeks. In return, the test subjects agree to take part in surveys before, during and after use.
The focus is on routes outside urban areas or classic commuter routes and the resulting potential for climate-friendly and more sustainable urban-rural mobility and an increase in quality of life. As experience from Belgium and Switzerland, among others, shows, distances between 5 and 25 km could be particularly attractive for the use of an S-Pedelec. In these two countries, however, such bicycles are allowed to use cycle traffic facilities.
As part of the evaluation of the route clearance for S-pedelecs in Tübingen, the impressions of S-pedelec testers and other road users are combined with infrastructural, cycling-related and legal analyses. On the basis of this valid database and the evaluation of the surveys, the project aims to formulate recommendations for the expansion of an "S-pedelec-compatible" cycling infrastructure and for other non-financial measures that can be used to shift everyday traffic to electrically assisted bicycles to a greater extent than before.
For further information: martina.lohmeier(at)hs-rm.de
Pre-registration for the field trial is possible via the following link: https://www.sofia-darmstadt.de/aktuelles
