The ICBF Magazine 2019

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Protecting your cargo since 1975 In The Netherlands we love cycling. Some people even say that it is in our DNA. But that is not true. Building a cyclists’ paradise requires hard work, a clear vision and defiance. We should know, because keeping The Netherlands a safe and happy cycling country is our main goal. Ever since we started, more than forty years ago.

We are Fietsersbond, the Dutch Cyclists’ Union. Thanks to our 32.000 members and 1700 volunteers, we are the largest cycling advocacy group in The Netherlands.

We welcome you to try some of our best Dutch cycling routes and we invite you to read our website: fietsersbond.nl/english

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Co nt

s t n e

4 Jos Sluijsmans: “Cargo bikes are booming”

7 Racing with cargo bikes

8 Gemeente Groningen: “Happy with any

Colophon: ICBF Magazine is a publication of Fietsdiensten.nl, copyright © 2019.

Coordination: LA Communicatie Design: Avancé Communicatie Print: Zalsman Editing: Tom Parr Information: info@fietsdiensten.nl

cargo bike that replaces a van”

10 Urban Arrow: “The right bike for every cargo“ 12 Urban Arrow: “Electrify your business” 14 DOCKR: “Flexible, sustainable urban logistics” 16 Get the picture!

17 International Cargo Bike of the Year 18 Bogbi: “Cargo Bikes for peace” 20 Service Logistics in cities: Go Electic 22 RYTLE’s revolutionary efficient concept 23 Cycling Without Age 24 RIPPL: “Stadswerkplaats Groningen” 26 CycleSpark: “Cargo Bikes for Circular Cities“ 27 Modacity: “The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality”

Rear cover photo credit: Modacity

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INTERNATIONAL CARGO BIKE FESTIVAL 2019

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#ICBF2019

Cargo bikes are booming Jos Sluijsmans, Director of the International Cargo Bike Festival

On the eve of the International Cargo Bike Festival 2019, to be held in the Dutch city of Groningen – the ‘G-spot of Bicycle Culture’ – Festival Director Jos Sluijsmans feels we are on the verge of a worldwide cargo bike revolution. “There are a lot of people who long for cities that are not built around cars, but are designed for humans.” The tide is definitely turning.

After last year’s edition in Berlin, the ICBF 2019 will be held in Groningen.

What made you decide to hold the festival there?

What can we expect in Groningen after the huge success of last year’s ICBF at VELOBerlin, at the former airport Tempelhof in Berlin?

Well, the municipality of Groningen invited me to organise the ICBF in their city. They were enthusiastic and had great plans, so I couldn’t resist. With 200,000 inhabitants, Groningen is by far the largest city in the north of the Netherlands, and its student population makes it a vibrant and lively place. It’s also a global leader when it comes to cycling. No less than 61% of all trips in the city are taken by bike!

Every year we see an exceptional acceleration of developments in the world of cargo bikes and cycle logistics; new products, new organisations, new initiatives. One of the remarkable things about this year’s ICBF is the attention from more far away countries. Before, the ICBF was mainly an European event. It still is, but this year it is truly “International”; we have participants from Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan, and we will welcome a delegation from Colombia. Participants from Iran, Guadeloupe and Australia have registered for the Conference.

According to some measures this is the highest level of urban cycling in the world.

It’s one of the reasons why Copenhagenizer Mikael Colville-Andersen named Groningen “the G-spot of Bicycle Culture”. And despite this success it could use some more “bling”, some spectacular cycling infrastructure like the Hovenring in Eindhoven or the Dafne Schippersbrug in Utrecht; a never-seenbefore cargo bike parking facility in the city for instance would be a great idea to keep the legacy of the International Cargo Bike Festival alive.

‘Do not underestimate the amount of people who want their cities to be safer, cleaner and healthier’

These are ambitious plans. How do you think Groningen is going to achieve all that?

Within the next couple of years Groningen aims to facilitate and promote the opportunities of cycle logistics to their fullest potential. Groningen already has some great pedal-powered companies and initiatives, such as Cycloon Post & Fietskoeriers, Go-Fast Bicycle Delivery Services, De Stadswerkplaats classic cargo bike rental, FoodDrop and Dropper, Spaak cycle cafe, DHL City Hub, PostNL Hub, GoederenHubs, partners of the Fuel Cell Cargo Pedelecs project, and more. They are definitely on the right track and it’s good to have the ICBF be a part of that.

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Of course it’s not just Groningen where these things happen. What’s your opinion on developments in sustainable transport and city logistics elsewhere?

There are several developments in the Netherlands, and internationally too, that will support the increase of the use of cargo bikes in our cities. Recently the authorities in Amsterdam launched a plan to forbid fossil fuel vehicles within “the Ring” (the highway A10, which encircles the city centre) from 2030. That could have a great effect on the rise and development of all kinds of small electric vehicles, including e-cargo bikes. And cities all over Europe are working on that, such as Paris, London, Oslo, Edinburgh and Madrid. This generates a very positive vibe. You know, five years ago I saw a cargo bike in the streets of Nijmegen, where I live, just every now and then. The other day I counted ten cargo bikes during a twenty minute bike ride to the train station. Surely that’s a good sign! And another thing: even Mark Rutte, the fairly right-wing Dutch prime minister, has said he considers cargo bikes the perfect replacements for small vans, with zero nuisance and zero emission.

Not everybody is happy to exchange their car for a bicycle, though.

Maybe not. Or not yet. (laughs) But do not underestimate the amount of people who want their cities to be safer, cleaner and healthier places to live in. There are a lot of people who long for cities that are not built around cars, but are designed for humans, on a human scale. That makes low or zero emission inner cities politically much more viable.

And I don’t think we really have a choice. Cities are overcrowded with cars.

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‘It’s just common sense.

Cargo bikes are a lot quicker than cars’

Fossil fuels will not be around forever. Besides, it’s just common sense. Cargo bikes are a lot quicker than cars these days. Cargo bikes delivering goods is an everyday occurrence already – not only for companies such as DHL, PostNL and Coolblue, but also, in the very near future, for the likes of Bol.com and Amazon.

Apart from that we can expect a serious amount of growth in the use of cargo bikes and light electric freight vehicles in the field of service logistics.

The tide for cargo bikes is definitely turning, do you think?

Yes, definitely. Countries all over the world are interested in developing cycling policies.

And that creates a much bigger international market for developing, building and selling cargo bikes. The potential is huge. (smiles) Even car manufacturers such as Volkswagen are now producing cargo bikes – low quality bikes for now, but the fact that they’re interested shows that cargo bikes are seen as a serious business opportunity. And another example: Gazelle, owned by PON Group, started a new cargo bike line and PON Group also took 20% shares in the Accell group of Babboe and Centaur Cargo.

Cargo bikes are becoming big business.

3, 2, 1 Cargo!

#ICBF2019

Racing with Cargo bikes Simon Chrobak, cargobikerace.com

Cargo bikes are handy and can be seen more often in everyday life. Whether for shopping, messenger rides or child transport: they offer a variety of possibilities for sustainable mobility. But cargo biking as a sport? This is the story of the young, up-and-coming sport: cargo bike racing!

The route is marked out, the load is ready, the competitors are lined up at the start.

Then someone shouts: “3, 2, 1 ...Cargo!” And off they go!

The course is usually between 200 - 500m long, and a race consists of several laps. This makes it attractive for audiences, who can be close to the action. After a few turns and chicanes, riders enter the loading zone. The load, usually consisting of crates, car tyres, canisters or weights, has to be stowed completely, safely and as quickly as possible onto the bike. The next part is the crux of the race: The riders have to transport the load - often including heavy, bulky and fragile items - for another lap.

After unloading the final lap follows.

The mother of all contests is certainly the famous Svajerløb in Copenhagen, Denmark. People have been racing cargo bikes there for the past 100 years. These days there is a growing scene, especially in Germany, with races in Berlin, Münster, Dortmund and Augsburg. There are also growing scenes elsewhere, such as in France and the UK; and of course this year in the Netherlands at the ICBF!

Anybody can ride fast, but in cargo bike racing is also about your load-securing skills. The load has to be transported around sharp turns and over bumps without loss or breakage. No mean feat. That’s why it’s not only about muscle power, but also about skilful loading and cargo bike handling - both with and without a load. Do I take a large box or do I secure the load with lashing straps? Cargo bike races offer the audience fast racing action that is close enough to touch and much more entertaining than other bike races.

The cargo bike racing at ICBF2019 takes place on the Sunday afternoon, and is being organised by Cycloon Post & Fietskoeriers and CargoBikeRace.com

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“We’re happy with any cargo bike that replaces a van” Sjouke van der Vlugt, Urban Development Officer at the City of Groningen, on how the International Cargo Bike Festival came to Groningen For three days this June, the city of Groningen will devote itself to the International Cargo Bike Festival (ICBF).

The Suikerfabriekterrein, a post-industrial former site of a sugar factory on the edge of the city centre, is being taken over by cargo bikes, or in good Dutch ‘bakfietsen’!

Last year the ICBF was held in Berlin, and before that for six years in the southern Dutch city of Nijmegen. Now it’s the turn of Groningen, and according to Sjouke van der Vlugt, Urban Development Policy Officer that is a great thing “because whilst Groningen is a genuine cycling city, it is not yet really a cargo bike city.”

Cargo Bike Guru In 2017 during the Dutch National Cycling Conference in Tilburg, Sjouke spoke to ICBF Director and “Cargo Bike Guru” Jos Sluijsmans. “ ‘Isn’t it time the festival came to Groningen?’, I asked Jos, and told him about our plans for the city. Jos was enthusiastic, as were our management and board. The result? The festival came to Groningen in 2019.”

Green and safe city logistics “Holding the ICBF here fits in really well with our ambitions for green and safe city logistics; sustainable and

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good for public health,” Van der Vlugt continues, “Cargo bikes are central to this vision. We need our city centre businesses to use different supply vehicles. Vehicles that fit the city better. Vehicles that fit in with our city centre improvement project “Ruimte voor Jou” (Space for You), which says that we need to be smarter with the space that is available in the city and make more room for pedestrians and cyclists. The city council’s political coalition agreement also states we have to reclaim public space; something that is very significant indeed.”

Cycle Logistics In recent years there have been a multitude of experiments with cycle logistics in Groningen, and now there are several pilot projects under way in the city. Van der Vlugt: “We ran a trial in one of our busiest city centre streets with cargo bike delivery and currently have a decorating and a maintenance business who have both exchanged their vans for cargo bikes. In addition, a student at university in Leeuwaarden, under the guidance of Edwin de Jager, is carrying out her graduate internship on the subject of cycle logistics.

#ICBF2018

What do we need to look at? Should we re-engineer our streets? If so, what are the consequences? What are the bottlenecks? It’s really interesting stuff. An increasing number of organisations are using cargo bikes now in Groningen: Cycloon, Go-Fast, DHL, IKEA, CoolBlue, Stadswerkplaats. All developments which we are very happy with.”

Developments Of course the ICBF is not only dedicated to supply and logistics; it is much broader than that. Cargo bikes are also increasingly being used to do things like transporting children to and from school, moving house, or do the grocery shopping. All things in people’s daily lives. In this area, developments are also moving very quickly.

Festival

Slow Biking

Besides serious business, there is also space during the ICBF for relaxation. Van der Vlugt: “Friday is the ICBF Conference, which has a great programme and for which people from all over the world have registered. Saturday is the Expo, primarily for policymakers, professionals and manufacturers, but also open to the general public. Manufacturers will be showing off their latest models and there will be a test track too. There are talks and workshops throughout the day.”

“Sunday is public day.” Van der Vlugt continues, “A day for all the fun things. Everyone is welcome, with or without a bike. There will be music, children’s activities, you will be able to test cargo bikes, there is a spectacular programme of cargo bike racing scheduled and... we’re holding one of the preliminary rounds of the Dutch ‘Slow Biking’ Championship. In which you ride as slowly as possible to over a certain distance - harder than it sounds!”

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URBAN ARROW

HAS THE RIGHT BIKE FOR EVERY CARGO. At Urban Arrow we want cities to remain great places in which to live and work. That’s why, nine years ago, we’ve set out to define a brand-new transport category: Smart Urban Mobility.

Our design philosophy

is bold and clear: always ahead. We have been applying this philosophy since we created our first Urban Arrow back in 2010. Inspired to build the urban vehicle of the future, we set out to design an electric cargo bike that will never let you down and is easy to handle in traffic. Robust yet agile, durable yet light. The result is our iconic aluminium frame. After several years of optimisation, we’re proud to say it still looks essentially the same.

Always ahead also means that we want

your ride to be as smooth as possible. We are continuously designing new bikes and accessories to optimise your experience.

For example, even though our Tender can carry up to 300 kilos, we are looking to build future models that can comfortably transport even heavier loads.

By combining the load capacity of a van with the agility of an e-bike, we’re creating the ultimate green machine for the first and last mile. Whether you are carrying your children or deliver parcels, perishables or furniture, there’s an Urban Arrow that will take you smoothly from A to B, and beyond.

Clean, safe, stylish, fast.

Electrify your business We understand no two businesses are the same, which is why all Urban Arrows are modular.

This gives you the freedom to choose between different cargo-carrying front frames. A bigger box, or something more compact? Everything is possible. In the same way your needs keep evolving, so too can your bike.

SHORTY

Roughly the same length as a city bike, the Shorty’s load capacity will surprise you.

The Shorty has the agility and speed of a scooter, minus the fumes and noise.

Its futuristic shape, defined by the expanded polypropylene (EPP) box, makes it a real eye-catcher. Looking for a short utility vehicle? Adding the optional hood maximizes the bike’s insulating potential, effectively transforming the cargo space into a lockable trunk. The ideal solution for your food, valuable deliveries or working gear.

CARGO L-XXL

Don’t want to waste any more time stuck in traffic, or looking for a parking spot? Then this is definitely your ride for inner-city deliveries. The Cargo removes noise and air pollution from the equation and boosts the flexibility of your delivery fleet. The various available boxes are spacious enough to transport large to extra-large volumes.

Whether you are carrying a fragile load or heavy cargo, or whether you need to keep it cool or piping hot: we have just the Cargo to meet your needs.

Need to transport a boatload?

Our three-wheeled Tender is ready to roll.

TENDER

We like to think bigger, all the time. The Tender’s three-wheel base combines cycling technology with insights from the automotive industry, making it agile and guaranteeing maximum strength and stability. All Tender models come with a three-wheel base and dual hydraulic disc brake technology on the front frame. These brakes allow for quick and safe stopping of the massive cargo volume you can transport with this beast. The wheel suspension ensures you’ll always have a smooth ride, no matter the weight.

The one-stop-shop for sustainable urban logistics 72% of the EU population lives in urban areas and this figure is rising. Factors like job opportunities, quality of life and cultural diversity are driving up urban populations in our ever more dense and congested cities. These trends have brought with it a huge growth in e-commerce, food and service deliveries, contributing to a whole host of problems in our urban spaces.

These factors make it increasingly difficult for SMEs to get around. Especially if they are still using traditional, carbon-emitting delivery vehicles. So how can SMEs move past these problems?

Step forward DOCKR. We are a Dutch startup whose mission is to help SMEs navigate the tricky world of urban mobility. How? Well, we believe it’s time for a change. The old leasing models are outdated. That’s why we offer a completely flexible range of electric mobility options for SMEs that produce zero local emissions.

For example, the emissions of larger delivery vehicles affect air quality for everyone in cities.

On top of this, some vehicles are simply out of scale with historic city centres, making moving around and parking time-consuming. A lose-lose situation then, for both small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the cities they serve.

Understandably, cities are pushing back in a bid to increase air quality and reduce nuisance, by introducing stringent environmental policies, low-emission zones or access restrictions. In Amsterdam, where it is claimed air pollution shortens residents’ life expectancy by a year, city authorities plan to ban petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 and recently doubled parking fees.

WHY CHOOSE DOCKR? Zero-emission Maximum uptime guarantee Flexible monthly subscription

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Our range of e-hardware goes from the smallest e-delivery bike, through light electric vehicles and all the way up to larger e-vans. We’re not tied to any manufacturers, meaning we can offer the solution that fits your business best.

It’s not always possible for SMEs to predict how busy they will be. That’s why at DOCKR we offer a multi-modal proposition. Cargo bike too small? We can swap it out for a larger one. Need an e-van for inter-city trips? We’ll sort it. Got an event coming up and need some extra wheels? No problem, we can fix you up with a temporary solution.

Flexibility; the ability to change vehicles, as well as up- or down-scale on a monthly basis, is in our DNA. Just tell us what you need. We’ll even hook you up with charging solutions and other e-related tools and accessories.

So how does this actually help SMEs? DOCKR aims to take the headache out of mobility, so you can concentrate on what you do best. Getting from A to B can, and should, be a no-brainer. Problem with your DOCKR vehicle? Simple - we’ll fix or swap it. Whatever it takes, with maximum up-time and minimum down-time.

We’ve even extended our keep-things-simple philosophy to paperwork. Complicated small-print is out; readable, transparent agreements are in.

So DOCKR gets you a mobility solution and provides you with comprehensive support. We go further than this though, making your mobility truly smart. How? We believe in the power of data to help optimise SMEs, making a difference to your bottom line.

70% of the costs of delivery come in the so-called “last mile”. Our smart routing and navigation tools help you make time and energy savings.

But it’s not all about GPS. On-vehicle telematics and sensors also provide insights that help you make better decisions and help us prevent maintenance issues before they can can occur, increasing your uptime.

Our rider and driver behaviour influencing tools work in a positive manner; using techniques such as gamification. This helps you to bring your employees with you, protects your brand, reduces fines, and makes our streets safer for everyone.

We’ve given you a glimpse into the inner workings of our system, and yes, some of this sounds quite complex. But the beauty of using DOCKR will be that, on a day-to-day basis, you won’t have to think about it. At all. It will just work away in the background.

DOCKR is the one-stop-shop for sustainable cargo mobility. Fully flexible. Comprehensive support.

Maximum up-time, minimum down-time.

It’s time for city logistics to change. Interested? Get in touch with our friendly team for a conversation about your needs.

For a free trial and more info: email info@dockrmobility.nl or visit www.dockrmobility.nl 15

Get the picture!

Representatives from the Municipality and business community agree to make city logistics in Groningen sustainable.

A representative of the next generation of cargo bikers, at ICBF 2015.

Credit: Gemeente Groningen

Credit: Jan van Kessel

Groningen City Alderman cargo-biking through the Grote Markt.

Credit: Gemeente Groningen

Cargo bikes are really taking off these days…

Credit: Tom Parr

Cargo Bike Racers line up at ICBF 2018 in Berlin.

Credit: Tom Parr

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International Cargo Bike of the Year Munich-based publisher HUSS-Verlag, along with its logistics magazine Logistra, has created a new award which will recognise the growing use and distribution of cargo bikes. The International Cargo Bike of the Year Award, will be handed out on Saturday afternoon at the International Cargo Bike Festival in Groningen.

The International Cargo Bike of the Year Award (CABOTY) intends to showcase innovations in the industry, offering publicity to cargo bike manufacturers and promoting ingenuity. It will honour the efforts of manufacturers in the development of innovative and practical bike concepts for professional use, focussing on trends and development in this fast growing segment.

“We see a clear trend towards the usage of cargo bikes in urban logistics, not just last-mile but also in trade and craft. There are hardly any logistics companies not running pilots with bikes or already using them in daily business. With the rapid electrification of B2C-bicycles, professional cargo bikes have gained a lot in technical level and broad potential application”, said Johannes Reichel, Head of Testing and Technology at Logistra.

Following a rigorous testing process by a jury of experts, CABOTY will be presented for the first time at the International Cargo Bike Festival 2019. “With the ongoing growth of deliveries and service logistics due to e-commerce business, the negative effects are becoming more and more obvious. Environmentally aware organisations everywhere are searching for sustainable solutions“, said Jos Sluijsmans, Founder and Director of the ICBF.

Which categories will be awarded?

1. Light Cargo Bikes (up to 100 kg payload, primarily single-track)

2. Heavy Cargo Bikes (more than 100 kg payload, primarily multi-track)

3. Cargo Bike Trailer (including boxes)

Jury Members Johannes Reichel Head of Testing and Technology, LOGISTRA. Specialist in Sustainable City Logistics.

Satish Kumar Beella Lecturer Industrial Design Engineering at The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

Marieke Snoek CEO of Cycloon Post & Fietskoeriers and co-founder of Fietskoeriers.nl.

Thomas H.L. Schmitz Radlogistik Verband Deutschland e.V. (stellv. Vorstand), Schmitz & Bramer GmbH (VeloCARRIER Mainz) The International Cargo Bike of the Year award will be handed out on Saturday afternoon at the ICBF. Check the programme for further details.

Jury Member Johannes Reichel of LOGISTRA 17

INTERNATIONAL CARGO BIKE FESTIVAL 2019

Bogbi - Cargo Bikes for peace Crowdfunding their way from Colombia to Norway, via Groningen...

BOGBI was born as an idea in Bogotá Colombia; two fathers; Eduardo from Colombia and Sigurd from Norway wanted to solve their problems of mobility across the city.

From that moment, and for nearly three years, we have been working to set up the production line for one of the world’s best cargo bikes. With Colombian passion, certified skills and Norwegian design, we made Bogbi, a perfect vehicle to move you from A to B without the need for a car.

Why Bogotá?

Imagine a city where the streets are closed for cars and open for bicycles. It already exists: welcome to Bogotá, the bicycle capital of Latin America.

Bogotá was the first city in the world to close down some of it’s main avenues to cars every Sunday, and open them for bicycles. More than 1,5 million inhabitants use the so-called “Ciclovía” every Sunday to ride around the city, traffic-free. Bogotá boasts more than 500 kilometres of bike lanes and more than 900,000 bicycle trips take place every day. These reasons, together with our own establishment in the city almost four years ago all worked in favour of our decision to start our factory here in Bogotá, Colombia.

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The Bogbi Our cargo bike is one of the most compact on the market, and yet still has a large cargo capacity. It can easily fit two kids and your everyday cargo. “We decided to use wire steering so the bike can turn into sharp corners and negotiate it’s way through traffic with ease”, says Johannes Hegdahl co-owner and Head of Design & Production, who has spent two years designing and setting up the production line in Bogotá. Other features, such as the embracing frame, adjustable dropouts, the bridge that holds the steering unit, and the hammock child seat ensure that riding a Bogbi is always an optimal experience.

More than just a cargo bike...

Bogbi stands for more than just bicycles. We have a strong mission to contribute to the development of greener cities and help Colombian society to grow in a peaceful and sustainable way. As Colombia moves towards a peaceful future after almost 6 decades of civil war in parts of the country, Bogbi wants to contribute to the country’s future by offering fair employment conditions and vocational training, integrating the production with world class training in bike production as part of our operation.

At Bogbi we will continue working, moving forward and having fun! A smooth ride for everyone - greener cities, stable jobs for young Colombians and cycling made affordable for whole families globally.

Want to get involved?

Bogbi are currently running an Indigogo crowdfunding campaign.

Visit Bogbi.co for more information and save up to 30%.

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www.hva.nl/gasopelektrisch | levvlogic@hva.nl | Project leader: Susanne Balm, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

Service logistics in cities: Go Electric Service engineers drive back and forth through our cities. Approximately 25% of all vans are for installation, repair and maintenance; and more often than not these are not the greenest of vehicles. Meanwhile, climate targets are becoming more and more prominent on the political agenda. For these reasons, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) and HAN University of Applied Sciences have embarked on a two-year research project into the use of electric vehicles for service logistics.

Photo: Urban Arrow

Ambition: an approach for emission-free city logistics As more cities strive towards emission-free city logistics in 2025, it is time for service companies to start using alternative, more sustainable transport modes to reach their customers.

20 partners are participating in this research project, ‘Go Electric’ (In Dutch: Gas op elektrisch), including several large service companies. Although these companies are increasingly deploying sustainable technologies, such as solar panels and charging stations, their own fleets are often not yet sustainable.

The project connects EV professionals from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with each other and with service companies to jointly develop multidisciplinary knowledge about the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) in service logistics. The project runs for two years, from March 2019 to February 2021. The end result will be an approach, consisting of concepts and interventions to achieve deployment of EVs in service 20

logistics. This approach supports service companies in the sustainability of their logistics operations and provides EV professionals from SMEs with knowledge of newly developed services. The final publication (due early 2021) will describe the knowledge developed during the project, including:

- The characteristics of service logistics and considerations when implementing EVs - The role of service employees in the adoption of EVs - Energy supplies for EVs - EV services that SMEs can (jointly) offer

Photos: Vodafone Ziggo powered by Guidion - Urban Arrow

Go Electric Research Team

Obstacles to electric mobility

The Go Electric project is coordinated by the AUAS Urban Technology research programme, which, in cooperation with HAN Automotive Research, also makes up the research team. In addition, 20 parties from the public and private sectors are involved in the project through the generation, application and dissemination of knowledge. Professors involved are Walther Ploos van Amstel (AUAS City Logistics), Robert van den Hoed (AUAS Energy & Innovation) and Frans Tillema (HAN Intelligent Mobility).

Although the technology behind electric mobility already exists, it is still not yet widely used. The project maps out the current situation and problems that exist. For example, feedback from service technicians indicates that the distance electric vehicles are able to travel on one charge is not yet sufficient. The project combines expertise in logistical processes, energy-use and the behaviour of employees in the adoption of innovation.

Service company Unica: “Due to climate targets, we are increasingly associated with sustainability.

This means we can actually no longer arrive at our customers’ doors with a polluting diesel vehicle.”

Research questions

Based on demands and requirements from the field, the research team has formulated the following research question: With which logistics concepts, loading strategies and behavioural interventions can the use of electric vehicles be realised for service companies? The research question is answered with five sub-questions: 1. What are the criteria and considerations upon which service companies are currently purchasing vehicles and scheduling routes?

2. What innovations do the logistics processes of service companies require in order to deploy EV? 3. How can the adoption process of EV by staff (EV users) of service companies be stimulated?

4. Which charging strategies facilitate the deployment of EVs in service companies best?

Methodology The project participants of Go Electric will:

1. Analyse the current status of service companies on the basis of route profiles, interviews and energy-use.

2. Formulate new concepts and interventions for the deployment of (light) electric freight vehicles.

3. Evaluate these new concepts and interventions using practical experiments.

4. Valorise expertise for the development of new services for SMEs.

5. What new services can be developed for service companies who want to deploy EVs?

Want to know more?

Project Leader Susanne Balm is organising one of the parallel break-out sessions during the ICBF Conference

on 14th June. Several project partners will be there to tell you more about the research and the results so far.

Contact

Susanne Balm (Project Leader) and Walther Ploos van Amstel (Professor in City Logistics): gasopelektrisch@hva.nl.

This research project is partly funded by Regieorgaan SIA, part of the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

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INTERNATIONAL CARGO BIKE FESTIVAL 2019

RYTLE’s revolutionary efficient concept aims to free up cities around the world Easy handling, straightforward, flexible and low-maintenance – the solution for last mile delivery Bremen and Groningen are connected in a specific manner: their empathy for bicycles. The bicycle is an effective way of getting around – but more and more, logistics professionals are facing issues regarding the ‘last mile’. In many cities in Germany, as well as around the world, an effective solution is already in use: the electrically operated RYTLE MovR25 cargo bike.

In summer 2017, the idea of Dr. Arne Kruse and Ingo Lübs, to create a sophisticated logistics system of the future, became a reality. Together with a team of experts, RYTLE – a joint venture of the KRONE vehicle group and the automotive consultancy ORBITAK AG in the northern part of Germany – designed a whole concept to ensure that the so-called last mile no longer provides problems for suppliers.

The innovative system consists of a selfsufficient mobile depot (HUB), the MovR25 with an exchange function for standardised

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transport boxes (RYTLE Box) and an IT platform. The latter connects all involved parties in real time (IOT) and is already in use by many well-known international parcels delivery companies, postal and courier services worldwide.

The idea of creating a chain of efficiency by operating nearly emission-free, punctually, quietly, stress-free, flexibly and as well as the possibility of being transparent, offers advantages to providers as well as customers. Besides all this, RYTLE ensures a crucial point: costs can be saved on the last mile and goods of virtually any kind can be transported.

In order to ensure high quality, the MovR has been developed hand in hand with established parcel delivers and well-known providers of high-quality parts such as HEINZMANN – which delivers the wheel hub motor CargoPower RN 111 – the heart of the cargo bike.

Incidentally – besides the love for bicycles there is another connection to Groningen. Since April 1 of 2019: Citye B.V. offers all products of RYTLE, with both direct sales and leasing. Furthermore, service and maintenance are performed by experienced and welltrained staff to move the last-mile transportation to the next level.

Let’s face it: Are you ready for the future? Come on and let’s RYTLE it forward!

#ICBF2018

Cycling Without Age - Connecting Generations and Communities Cycling Without Age (CWA) is a not-for-profit program that began in Copenhagen in 2012 with a very simple premise: giving free cycle rickshaw rides to the elderly and disabled.

From a single ride with a borrowed frontpassenger “trishaw,” we have grown to more than 40 countries around the world, with 1,500+ chapters and roughly 2,000 trishaws in service, and have provided rides to more than 100,000 people.

Impressive numbers, to be sure. But CWA’s real focus remains as it was during that first ride with that single borrowed trishaw: to connect people through the medium of the trishaw ride. And that happens at a very human, very personal level with each trishaw ride our passengers share with us.

To our communities, the trishaw rides are a unique way to reconnect people who are too often kept apart, and in a very dignified and approachable way. Our trishaw passengers sit up front – we quite literally put them first – with nothing between them and the community except their smiles. With all of our growth, CWA still reaches a tiny fraction of the elderly and disabled who we could be serving. As members of the international cargo bike community, you can help us! When you return home from Groningen, tell your local nursing homes and senior centers about our program; share our website (www.cyclingwithoutage.org); put them in contact with us. We find that all it takes is a single trishaw in a community to spark growth; seeing CWA in operation on the streets with smiling passengers and pilots, waving and talking with old friends and new, is the best advertisement for CWA we know of.

Kelly Talcott is a Board Member and US Captain at Cycling Without Age. Get in touch at kelly@cyclingwithoutage.org

We’ve learned that these rides are more than pleasant ways to spend a part of an afternoon. To our passengers and our pilots, they are opportunities to share stories of the past while at the same time creating new stories to tell in the future.

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Photo: Modacity

RIPPL: Stadswerkplaats – Groningen’s brilliantly unassuming cargo-trike hire service

By Tom Parr

In Groningen there has been an unfussy, straightforward way to get hold of a cargo trike for the day for over 30 years; long before the buzz phrases ‘mobility-as-a-service’ or ‘sharing economy’ were coined. The trikes, instantly recognisable to any Groninger, are available to hire from volunteer-run Stadswerkplaats which, although it is an unassuming organisation, is something of an institution in this city.

Located in a quiet, leafy square in the historic core of Groningen it is immediately obvious, as you approach, which building is occupied by Stadswerkplaats. Outside the heavy-duty, wooden workshop doors sits a row of sturdy, old-fashioned cargo trikes (bakfiets, in Dutch), waiting to be hired for a modest €12 per half day.

Photo: Tom Parr

This an abridged version of one of a series of RIPPL articles supported by Gemeente Groningen, in which we take a deepdive and focus on how cycle-logistics works in Groningen: city of bikes.

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Founded in the late 80’s by born-and-bred Groninger Sven Thieme, Stadswerkplaats (“City Workshop”) isn’t only a place to hire a bakfiets. In fact according Thieme, who still runs Stadswerkplaats today, it wasn’t the intention at all. It’s also a workshop where the people of Groningen can work on DIY and art projects, offering a range of affordable metal and woodworking lessons. The first bakfiets was bought at the request of workshop users in need of a way of transporting their creations home.

Demand quickly grew: fast-forward to 2019 and the wellused fleet has grown to eight.

Does anything ever go wrong? As Thieme explains, inexperienced riders, heavy loads and kerbs sometimes cause punctures or broken spokes. A €10 fee ensures you are personally rescued by Stadswerkplaats, which apparently happens a couple of times a month. He also tells me with a wry smile about the time a bakfiets ended up in a canal just minutes after being hired and had to be fished out by a passing boat.

When a trike does need to be fixed, Stadswerkplaats naturally do it themselves, in the workshop. Over the years almost every part of the trikes has been fixed or replaced in this way by Thieme and his team of volunteers.

Who hires a Stadswerkplaats bakfiets then? Thieme states that the most common reason for hiring is to move house; which makes them much in demand in student-oriented Groningen. A quarter of the city’s residents are studying at one of the two universities. It is therefore quite a common sight to see casually-dressed twenty-somethings pedalling along with precarious loads of mattresses, lamps, pot plants and furniture. Hiring a van isn’t really a great option here. And as you might imagine, it is not unheard of for large amounts of beer to find themselves transported from A to B under pedal power…

However, students aren’t the only users of the service.

The cargo trikes are also frequently pressed into service by non-students; also known as native Groningers.

They’re mostly used in the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods, where a traffic circulation plan in place since the 1970s intentionally makes it incredibly awkward to use private motor vehicles. And with a capacity of 250kg, it is possible to carry most items you care to think of on a Stadswerkplaats bakfiets.

what better than an object which attracts people’s attention, carries promotional materials and doubles up as a table?

A Stadswerkplaats bakfiets is even regularly used as a camera mount by a local TV station - rolling backwards down Herestraat filming as broadcaster Piet van Dijken strolls along interviewing Groningers.

Another regular client is the Gemeente (Municipality).

Residents can hire a Stadswerkplaats cargo trike free of charge to carry heavy waste to collection points. The Gemeente picks up the fee in a win-win-win arrangement that saves them time and resources, is free for residents, and is a valuable source of repeat income for Stadswerkplaats Perhaps it’s a sign that Groningen truly is a cycling city to it’s very core, that an organisation such as Stadswerkplaats can blend in and seem like just part of the furniture. They don’t shout about it, maybe they don’t even think about it, but sustainability is baked in.

It’s an unpretentious organisation which pre-dates many of today’s smart shared mobility startups by over three decades, and you wouldn’t bet against it outliving many of them too. All by offering a simple, affordable service; a way of moving stuff from A to B on dependable, oldfashioned trikes.

Over the years, the cargo trikes have also been called upon to carry out other, more unconventional duties, including several weddings and funerals. They have been used for city centre advertising, sales and even political campaigns;

RIPPL - Register of Initiatives in Pedal Powered Logistics, is a resource highlighting trends and innovation in cycle logistics, with over 50 real-life case studies.

Get inspired; head over to www.rippl.bike.

25 25 Photo: Tom Parr

CycleSpark: Cargo Bikes for Circular Cities

By Christian Suurmeijer, Founder, CycleSpark Last year’s robustly designed e-cargo bikes, in combination new containers and smart logistical systems, have proven themselves a realistic alternative to clean up last-mile deliveries. New cargo bike innovations are moving forwards. Strong, lightweight solutions are being developed and new energy sources explored.

To accelerate the transformation towards cleaner and liveable cities, we at CycleSpark set out in 2012 to build the largest cargo bike in the world. A bike with a capacity of 500kg and up to 5m³. We learned about how to carry heavy payloads and large volumes on cargo bikes. We now use this experiences to support small and medium businesses select the best solution and start using it in a safe, worry-free way. CycleSpark aims to enable anybody to use cargo bikes to build up a sustainable business. We take care of the cargo bike, arrange the insurance and make sure your cargo bike is always up and running. No worries; you can focus on your business. We have built up a fleet of cargo bikes and will expand the fleet even more the coming years. Investors who share our sustainable vision help to fund the cargo bikes and we take care of the rest.

Until now e-commerce has been the most important market for cargo bikes. Many of the “early adopters” of the cycle logistics concept have been involved in delivering packages ordered online. However, we believe cargo bikes can play a broader role in city logistics.

Smart and Circular Cities Many cities are in a process of transformation towards smart and circular principles, with often ambitious goals to reduce their environmental footprint. Local production, repair, upcycling, reuse, redistribution,

remanufacturing and recycling all reduce the need for long distance transportation. Doing more of our production and recycling locally is the best way to reduce the need for mobility. The cleanest transportation is no transportation at all.

At the same time, an abundance of innovations are in development to create circular cities. Examples include vertical farming, plant labs, 3D-printing in all kinds of materials, the so-called ‘blue economy’, cooperative robotics and other smart industry developments enabling production and remanufacturing closer to the end user. But in the end minimising transportation will always be necessary and that’s where e-cargo bikes can play a role. They can take care of the flow of all goods and materials through the ‘veins’ of the circular city.

They are a fair, efficient and ‘human’ way to move goods around in town.

Sparking a Revolution CycleSpark already supports local food suppliers, city farming and circular building projects and is now also exploring the use of cargo bikes for local plastic redistribution and 3D printing of new goods.

Today we offer a range of extra-large rental and sharing cargo bike solutions that can be used for various circular and sustainable businesses. Customised containers can be easily implemented because of the modular way the cargo bikes are built.

Let’s transform our cities into smart, circular cities.

Circular cities are cycling cities. Let’s bring it all back into balance. Let’s cycle into a bright future.

For more information, visit www.cyclespark.com

cycling circular cities BioEconomy Blueconomy

Distributed (re)manufacturing

Smart Mobility & Services Urban Farming Plantlabs

Smart & sustainable buildings Renewable Energy to Hydrogen

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cargobikeXLsolutions for circular cities

Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality

By Melissa and Chris Bruntlett Around the world, countries marvel at the Netherland’s impressive cycling culture and infrastructure while an insidious “that would never work here” attitude prevents real change from happening. But the Dutch overcame many of the same challenges as other car-clogged countries, and their story is an important model for moving the rest of the world toward a more human-scale, bike-friendly future.

Inspired by our initial visit to the Netherlands in the summer of 2016, Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality shares the triumphs and challenges of the Dutch cycling story. In it, we show how some of their ideas are already being adopted in global cities, and draw out concrete lessons for other places to follow their lead. Drawing from historical context, interviews with local experts, and our own experiences riding in five Dutch cities, we explore topics ranging from bicycle style and parking to the relationship between cycling and public transit. Special attention is given to less well-known Dutch cities, including Utrecht and Rotterdam.

In each chapter, we examine how North American cities are already following the Dutch example and transforming themselves to include more public spaces, safer cycling facilities, innovative bike-share schemes, and other, more inclusive mobility options. In some cases, these efforts are bolstered by collaboration with organizations such as the Dutch Cycling Embassy and PeopleForBikes, which are working to translate what has worked for decades in the Netherlands into tangible solutions for the streets of Austin, San Francisco, and countless other cities.

After being amazed by the transformation of our own lives following the purchase of a cargo bike, and experiencing the International Cargo Bike Festival in Nijmegen in 2017, we dedicate an entire chapter to the evolution and re-emergence of the humble bakfiets in the Netherlands and abroad. ICBF Director, Jos Sluijsmans, among others, gives voice to this growing movement and how cargo bike have and continue to change urban logistics.

The stories told prove that city design is not set in stone, and changing cycling culture can be done even where it seems impossible. To affect this change, political courage is needed, and citizen activism is often required. Building the Cycling City will leave you inspired and ready to adopt and implement approaches to make your own cities better places to live, work, play, and - of course - cycle.

Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality (Island Press) is available for sale at the ICBF, and at all good bookshops.

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See you next year at #ICBF2020!