Behavior change interventions to promote adoption of e-bike shared mobility in a rural area: evidence from a mixed-method field trial.

Encouraging a shift to sustainable travel modes is essential for achieving net zero goals. This mixed-method study investigates the adoption of e-bike shared mobility in a rural context. Partnering with Cornwall Council and the shared e-bike provider Beryl, the study trialed two behavior change interventions to encourage people to use active modes; 151 residents and 14 Council staff took part. The two interventions were: (1) free Beryl bike credits, so people gain experience of using the e-bike share scheme on a trial basis, and (2) the 'Pen portraits' visioning tool, which uses evidence-based narratives to motivate people to consider how they could reduce car use in their daily lives. The effectiveness of the interventions was assessed over a four-week period through comparison to a control condition. During the study, uptake of e-bike share increased from 7 to 31% for residents, and from 29 to 71% for Council staff. Commuting and leisure or exercise were the most common journey purposes, although the bikes were also used as a component of multimodal travel. Beryl bikes encouraged mode shift for short journeys (1-2 miles), with 28% of e-bike share journeys substituting private car use, resulting in estimated carbon emission savings of 96-626 g CO