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Currently e-bikes, not cars, are the world’s bestselling electric vehicle.
eBikes Continue to Outsell Electric Cars
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Currently e-bikes, not cars, appear to be the world’s best-selling electric vehicle. According to the market research firm NPD Group, the pandemic bike boom boosted e-bike sales by 145% from 2019 to 2020, more than double the rate of classic bikes, reported the New York Times.
While estimates vary, according to the Pew Research Center, Americans purchased around half a million e-bikes in 2020 vs. 231,000 electric cars. In 2021, e-bikes remained the best-selling electric vehicle in the USA with imports at nearly 790,000 units vs 652,000 electric cars bought by Americans, reported Bloomberg Green.
Deloitte projected that 130 million e-bikes would be sold worldwide between 2020 and 2023. In Europe, it’s predicted that twice as many bikes as cars will be bought each year by 2030. This trend has the potential to transform urban transit according to David Zipper, a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a specialist in new forms of mobility technology.
According to Zipper’s report in the Times, the rapid development of lithiumion batteries along with the worldwide resurgence of interest in urban cycling, as well as bike-sharing programs, are fuelling the transition.
Rocky Mountain Bicycles Wins Design & Innovation Award
In the new year, cult brand Rocky Mountain from Vancouver announced that their all-new Altitude Powerplay Carbon 70 was the winner of the Design & Innovation Award eMTB in 2021.
“Many brands claim that their eMTB has the same ride sensation as a conventional mountain bike, but we’ve yet to find one with as much truth behind their words as Rocky Mountain,” claimed the judges. “At the heart of this bike is the brand’s own motor, and the Altitude Powerplay demonstrates a level of off-road handling that we’ve not encountered on an eMTB thus far; in terms of agility, it’s no understatement to say that this Rocky has set a new benchmark.”
Porsche Acquires 20% of Fazua eBike Drive Manufacturer
In January, Porsche AG secured 20% of the shares of e-bike drive manufacturer Fazua GmbH, including an option to acquire enough shares to take over completely. For Porsche, this move represents a consistent push in their e-mobility strategy.
In November 2021, Porsche acquired a majority stake in Croatian e-bike manufacturer Greyp Bikes. The sports car manufacturer’s venture capital arm, Porsche Ventures, held a stake of around 10% in the company since 2018 and invested in Greyp at
Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay
DESIGN & INNOVATION the same time it invested in its sister company, Rimac Automobili.
Back in 2019, the Taycan was Porsche’s first-ever fully electric sports car, and now this segment of the company accounts for almost 25% worldwide.
Based in Ottobrunn (near Munich), Fazua GmbH pioneered lightweight compact e-drive technology and works with more than 40 major bicycle brands worldwide. The company currently employs more than 100 people at its headquarters.
Lanrick Jr Bennett Announced as Toronto’s First Bicycle Mayor
In the new year, BYCS announced Lanrick Jr Bennett as the City of Toronto’s first Bicycle Mayor. The Managing Director at @880Cities, Bennett, is committed to building cities that work for everyone, with an emphasis on reaching BIPOC and under-served communities.
Lanrick Jr Bennett
“I plan to work directly with community organizations to adopt cycling inclusion and safety in the communities, in each of the six boroughs. I will work with employers to adopt cycling commuter programs and BIAs in the city to engage in bikefocussed activities, with an emphasis on reaching BIPOC and under-served community groups.
“In my work as Managing Director at 8 80 Cities, I am committed to building cities that work for everyone,” said Bennett.
Based in Amsterdam, BYCS is a global NGO guided by the belief that bicycles transform cities and cities transform the world.
It launched the Bicycle Mayor program in June of 2016, and there are currently 134 bicycle mayors in cities around the world.
Banff Announces Rebate of Up to $750 on eBikes
In early March, the town of Banff, with about 8,000 residents, announced a rebate of up to $750 on pedal-assist bikes that have a purchase price under $5,000 as part of a new Residential Environmental Program. An even higher rebate is offered to Banff Access Program members (i.e., Tier 1 = up to $1,000, Tier 2 = up to $900). The financial rebates are to help residents save water and energy, as well as to support transportation methods that help protect the local environment. Banff announced a rebate of up to $750 on e-bikes that have a purchase price under $5,000.
Vélo Canada Bikes Pedal Poll counts 79,735 cyclists.
Vélo Canada Bikes First National Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo
In June 2021, Vélo Canada Bikes organized Canada’s very first national bike count, which saw over 1,000 volunteers in 68 communities counting 79,735 cyclists. The study targeted 14 pilot communities to get a better understanding of what cycling looks like across the country.
Where possible, volunteers captured demographic data such as age, gender and race to not only see who is riding, but also to discover who isn’t riding. According to the poll, about 70% of the riders are male vs. 25% female, and the majority identify as adults and white. The data will help the organization assist in providing better data for infrastructure to be built in the right places to ensure more people across the country can ride.
2022 MEGA VOLT II eMTB Experience Launches June 3-5
The return of the MEGA VOLT to the pristine and beautiful Cowichan Valley is set to take place June 3-5, 2022. This is North America’s only multi-day eMTB fest, staged by the BC Bike Race in cooperation with the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society.
The event will remain very much the same as last year, just tweaked to maximize the riding time and boost the fun factor.
The opening day Consistency Enduro, based on last year’s course, will be lengthened. The second day will be a doubleheader like last year with two mid-length shred sessions. The final day will be more of a social fun ride to maximize the exploration of the Cowichan Valley’s famous trails.
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In late January, Specialized became the first major global bicycle brand to offer consumer-direct options for on-line bike sales. The program will begin in the US and include other countries in the months ahead.
The company, like most major brands, offers “click-and-collect” sales for bicycle buyers that involve a retailer, but now purchasers will be able to receive a mostly assembled bicycle shipped to their door — similar to what buy-direct brands like Canyon offer — along with the tools needed to assemble and QR code links to instructional videos. Buyers can choose to have the bike assembled at a “Tier 1 or Tier 2 Specialized dealer closest to them” and picked up, or select a “white glove” delivery and fitting service.
Pundits suggest that the company is feeling pressure from other major brands who are also acquiring retail stores at a rapid pace, including major Specialized outlets.
Zedify UK Raises £1.2 Million for its eCargo Bike Delivery Service
In late January, Zedify, a pioneer in sustainable delivery operating in nine cities in the UK, raised £1.2m to support their growth. The investment was led by Green Angel Syndicate (GAS), the UK’s largest and most experienced network of investors fighting climate change, and was supported by the British Business Bank, One Planet Capital and various angel investor groups.
Zedify UK aims to expand over 45 hubs.
Since their launch in 2020, Zedify has delivered over 800,000 parcels, saving over 550 tons of CO2. Their unique model of using microhubs coupled with e-cargo bikes means Zedify can offer faster and more flexible deliveries for their customers. The company aims to expand to over 45 hubs, becoming the leading sustainable delivery network for cities over the next four years. Continued on page 14
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Toronto’s NRBI eCargo Bike Delivery Success With Plans to Expand
In April 2021, two entrepreneurs, Ivan Waissbluth and Nick Gaganiaras, launched NRBI (Near By), a new zerocarbon e-cargo bike delivery service in Toronto. Their passion to provide state-of-the-art logistic solutions for local businesses saw immediate success.
Waissbluth, a cargo bike rider himself, owns Bespoke Butchers, an organic butcher shop, and Gaganiaras had a successful career in logistics and supply chains. When the two became friends, the wheels began to turn.
In fall 2021, Dave Edwards, a passionate rider and former banker, joined NRBI as a part-time delivery driver. Knowing Toronto’s cycling scene via his role with social media sites such as @BikeTO, @CargoBikeTO and others, he became a partner.
“Reactions on the street are very positive — people are mostly blown away when they see you riding a cool e-cargo bike,” said Edwards. “They love receiving their goods by bike and they’re impressed.”
While companies also like the carbon-free aspect, they need and want to see fast, safe and efficient deliveries, that save money and make customers happy, noted Edwards. NRBI currently has four e-cargo bikes on the road, each with massive capacity. Two units are eye-catching aquamarine-coloured Pro Trike Centaurs made by Babboe, based in Holland, with 850 litres of cargo space NRBI’s Pro Trike Centaurs in action on Queen St. W. in Toronto.
(up to 450lbs). “They were secured via Fourth Floor Distribution which is a sister company of Curbside Cycle, a local bike shop in Toronto,” commented Edwards. Their other two e-cargo bikes are black Triobike Cargo Big units out of Denmark, which were acquired through Allo Vélo, the Canadian distributor based in Montréal, which also operates as a retail bike shop and has a second outlet in Vancouver.
NRBI has been making steady progress and plans to set up another hub in the west end of the city. Their biggest challenge has been juggling the operation and maintaining flexibility while trying to expand with such a small crew of five and a fleet of four e-cargo bikes as demand keeps growing.
And while there are new bikes lanes and other improvements in Toronto, Edwards welcomes the changes but adds that there’s so much more to do in the city from snow clearance, to fixing bike paths that end abruptly, to route shortcomings around construction zones, etc.
What lies ahead for NRBI are multiple hubs around Toronto, 20-30 e-cargo bikes, and perhaps even other cities in Canada.
“We want to get good at what we do here first, but for sure other provinces offer great potential, and there’s nothing wrong with looking south of the border as well,” he concluded. Ruff Cycles Hires Brian Mogensen as Head of Product Design
Ruff Cycles, based in Germany, announced in Feb. that renowned designer Asbjoerk Stanly Mogensen (also known as Brian Hoehl) is now Head of Product Design. Mogensen will be responsible for expanding the company’s e-bike lineup with new product technologies alongside founder and CEO, Petar Desnica.
Ruff Cycles is hoping to see the brand take off in the American market, especially given Mogensen’s input on brands such as Pininfarina, Diavelo and Bugatti. For more than 15 years, he worked for Accell Group as Design Director. “When Brian signalled his interest in joining Ruff Cycles, I did not hesitate,” said Desnica. “We look forward to his collaboration on upcoming projects to continue to turn heads.”
eCargo Bike Sales Boom up 36% in Germany
According to Germany’s bicycle industry association, Zweirad-IndustrieVerband (ZIV), more than 100,000 cargo bikes were sold in 2020, a 36% growth compared to the previous year’s reports. ZIV forecasts another bumper year in 2021, and “last mile” deliveries by cargo bikes are changing the look of streets in many German cities — electric trikes with a capacity of 350kg are becoming the norm. This coincides with a recent Dutch study that concluded that cities are better served by lighter, smaller vehicles, noting, “E-cargo bikes are a great alternative for some 20% of all delivery vans currently operating in large cities.”
Kona Bicycles from Vancouver Acquired by Kent Outdoors
In mid-January, iconic Kona Bicycles, founded in Vancouver 34 years ago, announced that it is now part of Kent Outdoors led by new CEO, Ken Meidell, a lifelong cyclist with experience leading respected outdoor brands like Dakine, Outerbike, Outdoor Research and Cascade Designs.
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PeopleForBikes and Call2Recycle Launch First eBike Battery Recycling Program in USA
Almost 40 bike companies are supporting the new recycling program.
The genesis of this new program began in December 2019 when Call2Recycle participated in a discussion with PeopleForBikes members on the topic of battery recycling.
Simultaneously, Call2Recycle began developing a similar program for the Canadian market that commenced in January 2021. The early learning from what was being built for Canada became the foundation for the new collaboration with PeopleForBikes in spring 2021. Not only a first for e-bikes, the program represents the first of any electric transportation sector to unite under a single battery recycling solution in North America. The initiative garnered the commitment of more than 40 bike industry leaders from 20 PeopleForBikes member companies, who collaborated as a sustainability task force and electric bicycle committee to design the program with Call2Recycle. The new e-bike battery recycling program is voluntary and funded by participating e-bike manufacturers, and it’s In early November 2021, PeopleForBikes and Call2Recycle
designed to make the battery recycling program safe and announced the launch of the US. bicycle industry’s first
seamless for both retailers and riders. These companies will industry-wide e-bike battery recycling program.
pay into the industry fund based on the number of batteries Call2Recycle is considered the largest and most reliable
placed into the market. The funds collected will be used battery recycling program expert in the USA, and their current
to administer the e-bike battery collection and recycling CEO and President, Leo Raudys, took over in January 2021.
program, including recycling kits, transportation and logistics, “Call2Recycle was founded as a voluntary, industry-
safety materials and rider education.run initiative to keep heavy metals from
Starting in February 2022, e-bike retailers rechargeable batteries out of the solid
can begin enrolling with Call2Recycle as a waste stream. Since 1994, Call2Recycle
participating collection site at no cost. Riders has grown from an idea by a group of
can begin recycling their e-bike batteries in five battery manufacturers to a pioneer
the summer of 2022 where they purchased in battery stewardship, collection and
their e-bike, or locate a drop-off site near them recycling logistics,” said Raudys in our
using the locator tool on either Call2Recycle’s interview with him.
or PeopleForBikes’ website.Through its established network of
Call2Recycle handles the management more than 16,000 drop-off sites, including
of battery collection, transportation and municipalities and retailers like Lowe’s, The
recycling, while participating retailers will be Home Depot and Staples, Call2Recycle
provided with everything needed to safely has recycled more than 140 million lbs.
collect these e-bike batteries, which includes of batteries across the US and about 73
retail employee training. A widespread rider million lbs. in Canada, for a total of 213
awareness campaign will also be launched in million lbs.
fall 2022.Call2Recycle maintains a diverse
The average lifespan of e-bike batteries customer base, including Stewards,
is about five years. The next-gen battery Collection Sites and Consumers. Stewards
processors in the recycling process means include the more than 200 battery and/
that roughly 95% percent of battery material or product manufacturers — such as
can be recovered.Dell, Duracell, Energizer, Panasonic,
Industry analysts estimate that more than Stanley Black & Decker, etc. — who fund the Call2Recycle
12 million electric bikes will be sold in the USA between 2020 program to ensure the batteries they are introducing into the
and 2030 — in 2020, an estimated 600,000 e-bikes were sold marketplace are responsibly recycled.
there. Call2Recycle expects to collect and recycle 15% of the Collection sites are those collecting batteries for
e-bike batteries coming out of the current market, growing to recycling through Call2Recycle, including public-facing
65% by 2030. sites, such as The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Staples, to HHW/
For more information, visit www.call2recycle.org and municipalities, and private entities such as manufacturers,
www.peopleforbikes.org
hospitals, military bases and businesses.
CEO and President, Leo Raudys CALL2RECYCLE
More than 12 million e-bikes will be sold in the USA between 2020 and 2030
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Kent’s portfolio of outdoor brands covers a wide variety of recreational activities and seasons, including the likes of Arbor Snowboards via the Arbor Collective, HO Sports and Connelly Skis.
Kona founders, Dan Gerhard, Jake Heilbron, and Jimbo Holmstrom, will be staying on the team in their familiar roles.
In September 2020, according to the World Bank Blogs, the rise of cycling in the Philippines due to the pandemic led the national government to allocate more than 22 million USD towards active mobility infrastructure.
This investment resulted in the country’s largest bike lane construction program in its history — almost 500 kilometres across Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao were constructed in less than a year. Several financial partners assisted to form a World Bank team. With additional support from the Netherlands Embassy, a series of training sessions were undertaken on topics such as Dutch cycling infrastructure principles, which are considered among the best in the world.
The new cycling infrastructure was designed to meet the highest safety standards, as the World Bank team not only worked with road safety experts but also involved the community, including persons with disabilities, women and the elderly.
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The Philippines sees historic 500km of bike lanes built in less than a year.
Olympic Gold Medallist Boardman Leads Active Travel UK
The UK will invest £5.5 million of new funding for cycling and walking infrastructure led by Olympian Chris Boardman, the national commissioner of the government’s new cycling and walking body, Active Travel England (ATE), which launched January 24, 2022.
ATE will be responsible for driving up the standards of cycling and walking infrastructure and managing the national active travel budget, awarding funding for projects that meet the new national standards set out in 2020. The new funding includes a £300,000 top-up to e-cargo bike schemes, £3 million to improve cycling infrastructure around train stations, and £2.2 million to explore active travel on prescription schemes.
ATE’s establishment follows the government’s unprecedented commitment of £2 billion towards cycling and walking.
Accell Group Acquired by Investment Fund Consortium for 1.56 Billion Euros
Accell Group, a European market leader in e-bikes and the second largest in bicycle parts and accessories, has been acquired by an investment fund consortium led by KKR, the largest private equity investor in digital services and technology in Europe, as well as Teslin, holding approx. 10.8% of the shares, for approximately 1.56 billion Euros. The offer is subject to certain customary conditions and is expected to be completed this year in late Q2 or early Q3. Well-known bicycle brands in Accell’s portfolio include Haibike, Winora, Ghost, Batavus, Koga, Lapierre, Raleigh, Sparta, Babboe and Carqon, while XLC is their brand for bicycle parts and accessories. The company employs approximately 3,100 people in 15 countries worldwide.
Accell Group is acquired by investment fund consortium. Deal and the rise in the popularity of bicycle transportation since the start of the pandemic.
Currently, the most extensive cycling highway network under development in the EU is in Flanders, where 110 planned routes will form a network of 2,400 kilometres. Of the 110 routes, 61 are already in use, reports the ECF.
On Nov. 25, Toronto’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee voted to make ActiveTO bike lanes on Bloor, Danforth and University Ave. permanent. On Dec. 15, City Council approved the motion to ensure safe, separated and connected cycling corridors remain in place permanently across Toronto.
In addition, 100 kilometres of new cycling routes are planned for installation over the next three years (2022 to 2024). Bikeway installation in Toronto over the past three years has been unprecedented. From 2019 to 2021, including ActiveTO routes, 65 kilometres of new bikeways have been installed, as well as 47 kilometres of upgrades and enhancements to existing cycling routes.
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people. “Making the ActiveTO bike routes permanent, with plans to expand the network even further where it makes sense, is the right and responsible thing to do, and it will help more people get around our city safely by bike,” said Mayor John Tory.
New Law in France Will Require Car Ads to Encourage Cycling and Walking
France has enacted a new law mandating that car companies must include messages in their ads that encourage people to consider greener methods of transportation such as walking, cycling, carpooling or public transit.
Much like the “Please enjoy responsibly” disclaimers on ads for alcoholic beverages, or health warnings on cigarette packaging, car commercials will now include messages like “For short trips, choose to walk or cycle,” “Think about carpooling,” and “Take public transit daily.”
The new regulations take effect on March 1 and will apply to ads on TV, radio, in movie theatres, on billboards, in print and online. France also passed sweeping new climate regulations last summer.
EU Triples Spending on Cycling Initiatives to €2 Billion
Cycling is booming, and according to the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), European countries spent €2 billion on bicycle and pedestrian initiatives during the period 20142020, tripling the €700 million spent between 2007 and 2013.
Even with such a dramatic increase, the amount of spending on cycling and walking projects is expected to continue to grow given the launch of the European Green ActiveTO bike lanes in Toronto become permanent.
Upway in France Raises €5 Million for On-Line Marketplace for Used eBikes
A new French start-up called Upway raised €5 million in a seed round from Sequoia Capital and Global Founders Capital to build a marketplace for second-hand e-bikes, reports Tech Crunch.
The company, which has a warehouse in Gennevilliers near Paris, buys e-bikes from both customers and companies. A team of five technicians checks and repairs e-bikes as needed, and then Upway lists and sells the e-bikes on its website.
On average, bikes are 20% to 50% cheaper than their original cost, and Upway offers many familiar brands such as Moustache, VanMoof, Cowboy and Canyon. All e-bikes come with a one-year warranty.
Prague permanently combines bike sharing with its public transport system.
Prague Announces Free Bike Share as Part of City’s Public Transport System
In the new year, Prague Integrated Transport announced that following a successful pilot project, it is permanently offering holders of a public transport pass free access to shared bicycles for short-term bike rides.
Launched last October, the pilot program saw 7,200 passengers take advantage of bike-sharing despite the cold winter months. A total of around 72,000 individual bike rides were recorded.
“The combination of shared bicycles and public transport makes sense and brings additional benefits to people using public transport for easier and healthier movement around Prague,” said Adam Scheinherr, Prague Councillor for Transport in a press release.
Following a recent study, the German Ministry of Transport plans to add up to 1.5 million additional bicycle parking spaces at train stations by 2030.
To accelerate the expansion of the necessary bicycle parking facilities and bicycle parking garages within the existing framework, a special City & Country program will provide municipalities and stakeholders like Deutsche Bahn with information on all important aspects of bicycle parking at train stations, including targets and funding.
“We should make it as attractive and easy as possible for people to ride their (e)bikes to the nearest train station, to be able to park their bikes there safely and then have good train connections,” said Volker Wissing, the German Transport Minister, in an interview with Welt. “People’s mobility will change completely, and it is my job as Transport Minister to ensure that people see this change as progress.”
Toronto Approves eCargo Bike Delivery Pilot
Toronto City Council has approved participation in a provincial micromobility pilot that will permit the use of cargo e-bikes weighing more than 120 kilograms to help meet the increasing demand for local deliveries, reduce greenhouse emissions and contribute to less traffic congestion.
Earlier this year, the Province of Ontario introduced a new cargo e-bike regulation and pilot program for municipalities. The pilot requires that municipalities choose to opt-in and change their bylaws to allow for the use of any cargo e-bike weighing more than 55 kilograms on public streets, including bike lanes and cycle tracks.
The pilot project allows the City to evaluate the use of all types of cargo e-bikes as well as study the potential impact of this larger micromobility option on traffic congestion, accessibility, road safety and the movement of urban goods. Throughout the pandemic, these cargo e-bikes have supported businesses in meeting enormous demand for local deliveries and have provided a new cycling option for residents and families to get around the city. They have also encouraged the use of fewer delivery trucks by courier, mail and delivery companies on city streets.
Germany to add 1.5 million bicycle parking spaces at train stations.
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