Our team recently attended Eurobike in Germany to see the latest global developments in micromobility.
Our industry has experienced a Cambrian explosion in new light electric vehicle designs, which were on display at the Eurobike test track (see video below).
We were particularly interested in new high-capacity cargo cycles such as quadricycles, and their potential to revolutionise urban deliveries.
Tilting trikes
As designers of heavy-duty electric trikes ourselves, we were interested to see the trend towards tilting trikes.
These have a split chassis with a front section that tilts, allowing more intuitive riding and faster cornering.
Unfortunately, most of the models we tried were too big to fit comfortably in Australian cycle lanes. For example, Rytle has a clever system for loading modular cargo pods, but at 1.3m wide their trike is approaching the size of a small van.
After Eurobike, we visited Pashley in the UK. They built Royal Mail’s post bike and have designed a compact tilting trike for urban deliveries. At only 80cm wide, their ALECS trike fits through a standard doorway and doesn’t hog cycle lanes.
Most of the models we rode were around $20,000 – at least twice the price of our HeavyHaul e-trike. Our HeavyHaul trike range launches in September and is available for pre-order now.
Watch this space for more developments.
Quadricycles on a roll
Quadricycles – high-capacity cargo cycles with four wheels – stole the show at Eurobike.
After riding several models and speaking to their developers, it appears few brands are ready for wide-scale commercial deployment. Most were at the advanced prototype stage and had various issues to resolve such as suspension, gearboxes and motors.
However, their potential for moving large volumes of goods and people while avoiding traffic and parking woes is obvious. They’re already ubiquitous in Europe and will reach Australia soon.
Brands that caught our attention included CityQ with a relatively affordable and compact design, and SUMX with a lightweight carbon fibre chassis. Meanwhile, Pfautec offer an eye-catching quadricycle for seniors and disabled riders.
Arguably, this segment’s leader is EAV. We visited their factory in the UK and were impressed with their vehicle’s slick design, powerful motor, large carrying capacity and ability to handle all terrains.
We will reveal more about quadricycles destined for Australia shortly.
Longtail cargo bikes: the short story
Based on the plethora of models on display at Eurobike, long tail cargo bikes have become the industry standard for shifting people and goods.
Their compact footprint, large cargo capacity, intuitive handling and affordable price are a winning combination.
The Bike43 remains one of the best brands we’ve seen. It combines premium components (e.g. Bosch Cargoline motor) with a lifetime guaranteed chromoly steel frame. Uniquely, its long rear rack can carry up to 3 kids or 100kg of cargo.
For heavy duty fleet applications, we have re-designed Australia Post’s mail bike as Australia’s toughest long tail cargo bike. The CarryAll MK3 boasts a 100kg / 350L cargo capacity, 1kWh battery for 100km riding range, with parts and service available Australia-wide.
The weird and wonderful
Eurobike offers a glimpse into new ideas and technology before they hit the market or disappear into obscurity.
Here’s a small sample:
