A Guideline For Designing Electric Bicycles

Abstract

Society is on the verge of a radical swing in the way that we commute and travel, at least in part due to the climate crisis. There is a rapid shift towards urban living and away from dependence on personal automobiles. The electric bicycle market has seen exponential growth due to these rapid shifts. With the growth of a new market, specific consumer groups begin to emerge. It is important for the designer in this space to identify these consumer groups and learn to design for each. This study is aimed at identifying these consumer groups and understanding the needs and expectations of each to create successful products. A competitive landscape will be created to understand where the market stands and to try and identify any potential trends in the market. A case study will be done to try and learn from successful past products and gain insight that can be used to better serve the new market. The objective of this thesis is to develop a guideline that will lead a designer through the process of designing an electric bicycle while keeping a specific consumer group in mind. The guideline will cover aspects of the design that affect not only the look of the bicycle, but the ride characteristics and capabilities of the bicycle as well.