Published: October 15th, 2018
Writers: Carlton Reid
Even though pesky airspace regulations suggest otherwise, starry-eyed logistics companies insist that mundane deliveries will soon be done by drones. However, there’s a long existing technology that’s more likely to be doing the bulk of the near future’s “last meter deliveries”: the bicycle. The delivery trike of old is now electric and capable of zipping 350kg through congested city streets without touching the sides.
Automotive companies are also investing in the scene – VW is to start making a tilting e-cargotrike at its Hannover plant and is billing it as the “smallest Volkswagen commercial vehicle ever.” It will hit the streets in 2019.
“E-cargobikes are a great alternative for some 20 percent of all delivery vans currently operating in large cities,” concludes a new Dutch study.
Academics from Amsterdam and Rotterdam Universities spent two years working with freight companies, municipalities and other experts to compile the 121-page City Logistic: Light and Electric report. This argues that cities are being strangled by trucks and vans: a great deal of freight traffic in urban areas is now comprised of delivery vans. Cities would be better served by lighter, smaller vehicles, shows the report.
E-cargobikes fit the bill. E-cargobikes are nimble, which will become increasingly important as more and more of us opt to live cheek by jowl in cities, where road space will always be in short supply.
Known in the logistics industry as LEFVs – or light electric freight vehicles – e-cargobikes have electric pedal assistance and can be ridden on roads and on cycleways. In many cities an e-cargobike is far faster than a van.
E-cargobikes can weave through gridlocked motor traffic, and can often be wheeled into drop-off destinations rather than parking illegally, a problem endemic to van deliveries. According to research by the municipality of Amsterdam, the average loading and unloading time for delivery vans and lorries is 12 minutes – the same amount of freight can be unloaded from an e-cargobike in as little as three minutes.
However, it’s not all plain sailing, says the report: “There are questions about the safety of LEFVs when they use the road together with regular car and bicycle traffic.”
There is also “resistance to their use on already crowded cycling infrastructure, especially when the LEFVs involved are large.”
And pedestrians may not be so keen on the proliferation of the larger e-cargobikes: “There are fears that the safety of other road users may be endangered and that the [sidewalk] will be blocked by LEFVs.”
Three and four-wheel e-cargobikes are the most van-like of bikes, but heavy loads can also be carried by two-wheel cargo bikes. It’s possible that municipalities in the future may try to prevent three- and four-wheel cargo bikes from using cycleways. However, if they did so there would be a kickback from parents who use “box bike” trikes to ferry children to and from schools and nurseries.
Sales and subsidies
Last week the UK government announced it has created a £2 million fund to subsidize the purchase of new e-cargo bikes.
“The funding will help pave the way for the nimble electric delivery vehicles to replace older, polluting vans,” said a government statement, and that this would “improve the environment and reduce congestion.”
Roads minister Jesse Norman – who is also the minister for cycling and motorized low emission vehicles – said:
“Support for e-cargo bikes will help to ensure that Britain leads the way in the development and deployment of the technologies of the future.”
He added: “Encouraging electric delivery bikes on to our city streets will cut traffic and improve air quality, and will show how these vehicles have the potential to play an important role in the zero-emission future of this country.”
15,000 e-cargobikes were sold in Germany in 2016. Sales numbers for 2017 are not yet available but, anecdotally, sales are thought to have at least doubled.
Danish cargobike specialist Butchers & Bicycles launched in 2013 and has grown by 20 to 25 % every year. Other cargo bike companies report similar sales trajectories. The Bullitt front loader from Danish cargobike brand Larry vs Harry is such a sales success that other companies now make accessories for it, such as the Hood weatherproof bag by Fahrer of Germany.
The GSD from folding bike specialist Tern is a compact e-cargobike that can haul 200kg. The sturdy oversized rack offers plenty of real estate for mounting child seats, pannier bags, boxes or a padded passenger seat – there’s also a version on trial with food delivery service Deliveroo.
UPS has its cargobikes made by German manufacturer Speedliner. The firm’s new Rytle MovR cargotrike is almost van-like – it has two hub motors on the two back wheels, a canopy to protect the rider from the elements, and a modular loading system based on Europallet dimensions (1,200 x 800 x 1,100 millimeter).
Safety standards
While a typical cargo bike – electric or not – is likely to rack up many more miles per year than a commuter or leisure bicycle there are currently no minimum safety standards for the category. But that may be about to change.
The German Association for Materials Research and Testing (Deutscher Verband für Materialprüfung und -Forschung) will examine the fatigue strength and safety of cargo bikes at a workshop next month at the Zedler-Institut in Ludwigsburg.
The Institute’s Dirk Zedler said: “As a bicycle expert, I view many of the cargo bikes on the market as more like prototypes than mature products.”
He adds: “I believe the industry needs to take a completely new approach to the design, manufacturing, and testing of cargo bikes. Standards are needed to define the allowable service life and maximum mileage for a cargo bike, including a schedule for maintenance and for the replacement of components. The rise of electric cargo bikes makes such standards even more imperative.”
“Will they enter the cargo bike market, where they can apply their expertise in engineering and product development? Or will their absence create an opportunity for companies outside the industry, as we’ve seen with the boom in dockless bikeshare systems?”
The Volkswagen e-cargobike is a case in point. “The cargo e-bike is VW’s solution for the mobility challenges of tomorrow,” said Thomas Sedran, chairman of the company’s Board for Commercial Vehicles.
Launching the tilting VW e-cargotrike at an event last year, he added: “We are thinking ahead about sustainable mobility for our customers and for better air quality in our cities.”
Commentary
The future of transportation has always been a wide innovation, discovery, and discussion. Although electric vehicles seem to be the next large step of our transportation evolution, smaller compact transportation is another avenue to explore. As the article mentions, over population and crowding is a larger problem in urban settings that is only going to get worse as time passed. For places where many citizens use small motorized vehicles already, these e-bikes can help with pollution. The article does bring up a good point on, how can e-bikes be integrated into the current infrastructure of our roads and traffic? Focusing on curbside pickup, how can e-bikes be made with the space, durability, and energy to hold a larger haul of groceries? Do bikes accessories need to be added? What kind of audience will individual e-bikes attract? How can casual family customers adapt to possible using e-bikes? I have all of these question because it seems we are still far off from this integration. However, as we see more electric vehicles, scooters, and rental bikes popping up through metropolises, I think it is factor to consider when making transportation easier.
