With governments increasingly going for Smart City concepts, they also realise the importance of fighting urban traffic congestion and rising levels of CO2 emissions.

Experts suggest that one of the solutions is introduction of electric bikes and scooters.

A study by analyst firm Navigant Research says Smart Cities need to do their part promoting “e-bikes” and “e-scooters” as viable transport options.

However, analyst Ryan Citron said electric vehicles are not enough to stop congestion in the city. Carpooling with EVs, alongside e-scooters and e-bikes are the best ways to reduce city congestion.

Some cities have already implemented programmes that use e-bikes and e-scooters. In Taipei, Gogoro sells e-scooters with battery stash boxes located around the city, which are paid for through a subscription service to the e-scooter company.

Barcelona has a similar sharing programme, implemented in 2013, aimed at tackling the growing congestion in the city. Paris will be introducing its own e-scooter sharing programme this year, and London is in talks to launch its own.

In Germany,   100km of new highways for bicycles will be added this year. It will have 50,000 new e-bikers added every year. This is likely to take 50,000 cars off the road.

E-Bikes are, like e-scooters, a growing market, with 1.7 million sales predicted in 2016. Europe is ahead of the US in the e-bike craze, with cities like Amsterdam, Brussels, London, and Paris implementing vast cycle lanes.