Spin, Ford’s micromobility subsidiary, has announced new e-cargo bike trials in Essex, northeast of London.
The trials in Colchester will use the e-cargo bikes to round-up, replace, and recharge e-scooter batteries. In Chelmsford, meanwhile, Spin is trialling the UK’s first custom-made, ultra-lightweight vehicle for e-scooter operators, the EAV 2Charge.
“Combating climate change is the defining challenge of our time and through our network of partners, including like-minded UK innovators and local businesses, we aim to transform how we operate the logistics side of our business. E-cargo bikes have the potential to deliver faster, cut congestion and improve road safety in urban areas when compared to vans. That’s why we have integrated e-cargo bikes into our daily operations when it comes to replacing batteries and moving around e-scooters to meet local demand as it fluctuates throughout the day,” says Steve Pyer, UK Country Manager at Spin.
The Colchester E-Cargo Bike Delivery service supports a range of local independent businesses, and now Spin, with a zero-emission delivery service utilising e-cargo bikes.
Through the initial three-month trial Colchester E-Cargo Bike Delivery Project founder Lee Pugh and his team will replace approximately 20-30 low charged batteries a day across Colchester and take them to be charged at various points across the town, while they are running deliveries for other customers with four e-cargo bikes. With this trial, Spin aims to reduce the use of its vans on the road to help mitigate congestion in the local area.
In Chelmsford, however, Spin will be deploying the EAV 2Charge e-cargo bike to help ease traffic and support cleaner air. This ultra-lightweight, emissions-free vehicle was co-designed with Spin to carry spare batteries, tools, replacement parts and hold up to three e-scooters as the operations team pedals them around to meet changing demand across the town. It is the first custom-made vehicle for an e-scooter operator to be trialled in the UK.
Earlier this month, Spin also announced that it was a signatory of the Climate Pledge, joining more than 100 other companies in measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, as well as implementing decarbonisation strategies. It should be off to a good start, with Spin claiming that it already uses 100% renewable energy in its UK warehouses.
Keyword: Spin Begins E-Cargo Bike Operations in Essex to Round-up E-Scooters