Abstract
The replacement of short-distance, low-occupancy automobile trips with electric bicycles (e-bikes) can reduce energy consumption and emissions related to transportation activities. Due to the low electricity consumption per mile of e-bikes compared to battery electric vehicles, e-bikes can also reduce the peak and total electric loads that battery electric vehicles impose on local and regional electricity systems, potentially translating into benefits for electricity system operation and distribution infrastructure lifetimes. This study leverages synthetic travel pattern data for the San Diego, California, region, along with National Household Travel Survey data for bike trip characteristics to estimate the battery electric vehicle trips that e-bikes can displace. Moreover, we use electricity system modeling to estimate the electricity system cost savings in the years 2030 and 2045 from replacing battery electric vehicle trips with e-bikes. We find that using e-bikes to displace battery electric vehicle trips where feasible can reduce California wholesale electricity system costs by up to 3.0% in 2030 and 3.8% in 2045, translating to annual savings of $770 million and $1360 million, respectively. Additional potential savings can also occur in the distribution system through extending the lifetime of distribution transformers, depending on the current loading of distribution transformers on a residential circuit.
