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May 15, 2024
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The special cargo e-bikes are narrow enough to be ridden on bike paths and in bike lanes and have a capacity of up to 441 lbs.
With the rise in online shopping, delivery companies have been trying out innovative new vehicles with a smaller footprint, both literally and carbon-wise. UPS is now testing what are being called “eQuad” e-bikes in the U.K. That’s right, they have four wheels, pedals and a motor.
We’re previously reported on UPS using cargo e-trikes in Seattle, Portland, Pittsburgh and other cities. The eQuads in the U.K. feature a different design, not least of which is the fourth wheel. These eQuads are designed by the British company Fernhay.
The eQuads measure just 36 in. wide, which is narrow enough to make them legal to ride on bike paths in the U.K. Because this is in the U.K., the eQuads will be limited to a maximum speed of 25kph (15.5 mph), which may not be a bad idea considering they will be rated to carry up to 200kg (441 lbs.). While we don’t have motor power or battery size, the eQuads should have a range of roughly 40 mi., which should be more than enough for the sorts of deliveries they are meant to make.
Delivery companies have been looking for solutions to “last-mile deliveries” in congested city centers where traditional delivery vans struggle to negotiate narrow streets and find parking that doesn’t snarl traffic. The eQuads can move through city centers using bike paths and bike lanes and park without blocking riders or vehicles.
Increasingly, delivery companies are looking at setting up urban distribution hubs that get packages to be delivered near their final destination and then using e-bikes and similar vehicles to accomplish that “last-mile” delivery. The change in strategy could remove remove a number of large delivery vans from city centers and replace them with one larger truck making a delivery to a centralized hub and many smaller vehicles such as cargo e-bikes make the final delivery.
It’s a great solution because it reduces traffic and congestion, doesn’t eat up a bunch of space when parked, is better for the health of the delivery person and cuts carbon emissions—kind of a win, win, win, win.
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