Exploring Trends and Future Research Directions in the Adoption of Electric Micromobility Vehicles

Abstract

Our study conducts bibliometric and co-occurrence network analysis to explore key trends in the field of electric micromobility research. The paper is focuses on examining how academic attention has shifted across research domains, identifying changes in thematic keywords, assessing the evolution of multidisciplinary studies, and pinpointing influential authors in micromobility. Using the Scopus database, we analyzed 1,471 articles (as of March 2024), revealing that while engineering initially dominated this field, since the 2020s, both social sciences and medicine have emerged as critical areas of study for electric micromobility vehicles (EmV). Our analysis of key terms shows that "electric scooters" has consistently been central across different periods, underscoring a sustained focus on micromobility's core themes. Additionally, we observed a marked increase in interdisciplinary research after 2015, particularly at the intersection of engineering, social sciences, and environmental science, highlighting a collective effort to address complex urban mobility issues. This article also identifies Cherry Christopher as the most frequently cited author in micromobility, reinforcing the foundational role of earlier research in guiding contemporary academic discussions. By uncovering these trends, the analysis points out the increasing relevance of social science perspectives as a promising future research direction in the context of EmVs - encompassing topics such as user behavior, public acceptance, regulatory frameworks, social equity, and gender-based approaches. These aspects complement the traditionally engineering-driven approaches. While the growing thematic diversity suggests a shift toward more nuanced and multifaceted investigations, the precise role and impact of interdisciplinarity in this field remain subject to further exploration.