How is this tackling the climate crisis?
Electric cargo bikes contribute towards lower emissions and improved air quality. Electric cargo bikes may have two, three or four wheels, but all models feature a large container for transporting goods and equipment.
Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) has bought 12 bikes, some of which can carry loads of up to 150kg in weight. These are used by by council teams and small businesses in the city.
BHCCs post room, cemeteries teams, community engagement team and cycle instructors use electric cargo bikes. A further five have been given to sustainable logistics company Zedify to support business deliveries across Brighton & Hove. Five other electric cargo bikes were awarded to local businesses.
The aim of this project is to build a strong business case that demonstrates that electric cargo bikes can largely replace diesel vans for urban deliveries and in turn encourages local businesses to adopt electric cargo bikes.
Brighton & Hove City Council’s eCargo Bike Accelerator Programme aims to boost the uptake of electric cargo bikes among small businesses. The scheme offers a £125 subsidy to local businesses that switch from polluting vehicles to use Zedify’s electric cargo bike courier service.
Project support also includes impartial advice on the best electric cargo bike to suit different budgets and business needs, free rider training, and the promotion of businesses on the eCargo Bike Accelerator project webpage.
Lessons learned
Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic have impacted on delivery and supply chains. This has made it difficult for Brighton & Hove City Council to obtain certain types of electric cargo bike. However, manufacturers are beginning to adapt to these barriers and are starting to build good stock levels of varying models so this should start to get easier for other councils.
Another important issue has been ensuing that council teams and local business are getting daily use out of the bikes to ensure maximum benefits. Giving council staff and business owners training to use electric cargo bikes confidently is essential to ensuring the electric cargo bike is used enough, whilst also ensuring that they have the right type of bike to suit their needs and local geography.
What impact has it had?
The impact has however gone beyond the council’s own use of the bikes. For example, providing an electric cargo bike to Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-op has created an immediate impact, helping vulnerable community residents. By using an electric cargo bike, the co-op can survey homes and install energy saving measures in just one client visit, due to the increased storage capacity compared with the regular pedal bikes that the organisation was using beforehand. This allows the co-op to support twice as many households through their fuel poverty alleviation programme, and reduce delays that vulnerable residents can face in making their cold homes more comfortable.
The project has also had a significant impact on local businesses. Local business Brighton Gin received an e-cargo bike in 2020 and has now recorded over 2,200 miles that would have been made by their diesel vehicles.
