Have you ever considered how light electric vehicles (LEVs) – like e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-cargo bikes – could help power active mobility, healthy cities and local businesses?

This question was at the heart of the Nordic conference on light electric vehicles, held on 8 May 2025 in Copenhagen by EIT Urban Mobility and Dansk Erhverv (Danish Chamber of Commerce). The event brought together cities, industry leaders, startup founders, researchers and other mobility experts to explore the potential of LEVs for transforming urban mobility.

Fewer critical materials and more circularity

Yoann Le Petit, Thought Leadership Manager at EIT Urban Mobility presented findings from a 2024 study by EIT Urban Mobility and EIT InnoEnergy, which emphasised the environmental advantages of LEVs, particularly in terms of material efficiency and battery sustainability.

“Stronger circularity requirements will make LEV batteries more sustainable. […] LEVs will require 11–20 times less critical materials than electric cars (2030),” he underlined.

Circularity requirements from the European Union, such as battery passports and mandatory recycled content for batteries, will be implemented in the coming years.

Health effects of light electric vehicles

Reducing air pollution is another key reason to promote LEV adoption. “Everyone is exposed to harmful levels of air pollution, 96% of the population,” highlighted Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, Professor in Environmental Epidemiology at University of Copenhagen.

She pointed out a range of health impacts linked to air pollution – including lung disease, cancer, mental health disorders and dementia. LEVs support active mobility and can help mitigate these risks when paired with good infrastructure and equitable access.

Rethinking urban space: Fewer cars and more LEVs

“We have to change the space between the buildings,” emphasised Line Barfod, Mayor of Technical and Environmental Affairs at City of Copenhagen.

Despite Copenhagen’s global reputation as a cycling city, car-centric infrastructure still dominates. Streets occupy 49% of public space, while bike paths make up just 6%. Reimagining the use of public space is essential to accommodate greener transport alternatives like LEVs.

Mobility hubs and safety: Key to boosting the uptake of LEVs

Several speakers highlighted the importance of mobility hubs as a bridge to sustainable mobility for people and goods.

“The KAIA mobility hotel in Oslo is a one-stop shop for leasing, maintenance, and service,” explained Isak Solomon, Mobility Advisor at City of Oslo. These hubs make it easier for users to adopt LEVs by centralising services and support.

Mobility hubs can improve mobility in suburbs with limited public transport. Caroline Schousboe, Senior Consultant at Capital Region of Denmark, highlighted a project with Dott, which placed 1,800 e-bikes along Copenhagen’s future light rail. The initiative shows how LEVs and mobility hubs improve last-mile links in car-heavy areas, though adoption by the users can take over a year.

Ensuring quality and safety of light electric vehicles

One elephant in the room is the issue of bike theft, particularly of expensive e-(cargo) bikes. It undermines the modal shift and urban mobility goals, noted René Nørgård, CEO and Co-Founder of Bikekey. Bikekey offers an innovative solution for tracking and securing these bikes.

Livelo Bikes is one of those high-quality e-cargo bikes that help make life easier for families living in cities, according to Jeppe Larsen, Director at Livelo Bikes. He welcomed Bikekey’s approach to improving bike security.

Smarter integration with public transport

Integrating LEVs into existing transport systems can also help encourage more widespread use. Kolumbus, the public transport authority in Rogaland, Norway, and Donkey Republic, showcased examples.

“Our city bikes reduce up to 10,000 car journeys per month,” said Espen Strand Henriksen, Head of Mobility and Business Development at Kolumbus. Their initiatives include e-bike leasing, especially for car-owning employees, and bundling bike rental with public transport tickets. Ideally, these services should be accessible without requiring multiple apps.

Light electric vehicles for greener urban logistics

“80% of Wolt’s carbon emissions come from courier deliveries,” said Jamieson Saab, Global Head of Sustainability at Wolt. To address this, Wolt introduced the Better Cities Programme, which helps courier partners lease electric vehicles to reduce emissions.

“Delivery costs are 65% lower with a cargo bike than with a van,” explained Hans Fogh, CEO and Co-Founder of Larry vs Harry. He pointed to successful collaborations, such as one with FedEx in Canada, as proof of concept.

Additional benefits were noted by Morten Rahbek Keseler, Director at Bring Courier & Express. LEVs help avoid parking fines and are faster than vans in congested areas. Furthermore, they are better on drivers’ joints and knees compared to non-electric bikes.

Looking ahead

The Nordic conference made one thing clear: light electric vehicles can contribute to sustainable mobility in different areas. With the right policies, infrastructure and collaboration, LEVs can play a major role in creating healthier and more sustainable cities.