Electric Motorcycle Adoption and Urban Mobility: A Bibliometric Review

The wider adoption of electric motorcycles has increased interest in their role in urban mobility. However, research on e-motorcycle adoption remains scattered across different disciplines, with no comprehensive overview of the field. Bibliometric analysis was utilised to identify the main research themes, and highlight future research directions. A total of 165 publications published between 2000 and June 2026 were retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases and analysed using the Bibliometrix R package. The first publication appeared in 2005, but research grew rapidly after 2020 and reached its peak in 2025. China was the leading contributor to the field. The findings show that research has shifted from an early focus on battery technology and environmental performance to narrower issues, such as user behaviour, charging infrastructure, and sustainable urban mobility. Three main research themes were identified: sustainability and environmental policy; transport policy and economics; and behavioural and psychological factors. The review also identified important research gaps in governance, renewable energy, social inclusion, and studies from African cities. Future studies should give more attention to how policies, renewable energy-powered charging, and inclusive mobility initiatives can support e-motorcycle adoption in Africa.