Abstract
While new transportation technologies such as transportation network companies and electronic scooters showed promise for sustainable mobility, their initial impacts suggest otherwise in several instances. Electronic bicycles are no exception, resulting in an increasing number of injuries and deaths in many cities. Despite having environmental advantages, such outcomes challenge the view that they qualify as sustainable, bearing in mind that negative health impacts undermine sustainability's social pillar. While this issue is of paramount importance, it is only one factor among many that could impact several stakeholder groups, including many human groups, nonhuman animals, ecosystems, future people, and urban artifacts. In turn, it will require an approach that can prioritize stakeholder groups' competing interests. To make this case, this paper uses an applied-conceptual framework to show how the concepts of moral ordering and moral utility could play a significant role in carrying out such an undertaking, illustrating how e-bikes can support sustainable mobility.
Recommended Citation
Epting, S. R. (2026). How E-Bicycle Policy And Infrastructure Challenge Sustainable Transportation: An Ethical Assessment. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 39 Elsevier.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2026.102177
Department(s)
Arts, Languages, and Philosophy
Publication Status
Open Access
Keywords and Phrases
E-bicycles; Fat bikes; Micromobility; Moral Ordering; Sustainability
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2590-1982
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publication Date
01 Sep 2026
