Cargo bikes for liveable cities and a carbon neutral continent

The first European Cargo Bike and Cycle Logistics Experts Group (CBCLEG) operates under a partnership between Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) and the European Cycle Logistics Federation (ECLF) under the support of the City Changer Cargo Bike Project (CCCB).

This partnership is crucial to connect logistics companies with cycle industry, in particular cargo bike companies, which is key to the main goals of this Expert Group; promoting cargo bike and cycle logistics as an integral component of the EU Cycling Strategy, for the climate-neutrality objective of the Green Deal and of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Policy, advocating to ensure that the sector is in the new Commission’s work programs and disseminating the market profile to encourage the necessary investment in cargo bikes and their after-sales services.

As cities increasingly struggle with traffic congestion, which brings not only air and noise pollution but also has significant impacts on health, the cargo bikes and cycle logistics sector comes in as a sustainable, practical, inclusive and non-congesting alternative for first- and last-mile deliveries, family vehicles and general logistical service provisions. For instance, cargo bikes have the potential to replace vans in 32% of delivery trips and 50% of service trips.

The CBCL Expert Group is led by ECLF Director Richard Armitage and CIE Secretariat is provided by Ayse Sumer.

The CBCLEG members defined the following four priorities for the group:

  1. Contribution to the development of the first European standard (EN) for cargo bikes;
  2. Marketing & Communication;
  3. Cycle logistics services & systems;
  4. Financing the growth.

These priorities will be tackled in the following three Task Groups (TGs):

TG 1: Standardisation

The European Standardisation Organisation's Technical Committee 333 (Cycles) established a working group on cargo bikes (CEN/TC 333/WG 9 Cargo Bikes). As a liaison partner of the European Standardisation Organisation (CEN), ECLF is represented by Arne Behrensen (cargobike.jetzt) in the WG 9 on cargo bikes, who is also the leader of Task Group 1.

TG 2: Marketing & Communication

The purpose of Task Group 2 starts with Framing – creating a strong, coherent narrative for what cargo bikes can deliver for society, how they can be used and the benefits they bring. To break into the commercial vehicle sector there has to be a unified industry story about cargo bikes as light electric delivery vehicles that can replace vans.

Task Group 2 leader is Uwe Weissflog from Tern-inMotion.

TG 3: Cycle logistics services & systems

Task Group 3 will participate in the debates already under way about future urban logistics, and the role of municipalities in enabling zero emission deliveries to flourish. This work will encompass engagement with the key players in delivery and logistics, getting involved in the discussions about how they will complete their last and first mile drops in future.

Task Group 3 leader is Martin Schmidt from Cycle Logistics CL GmbH.

OBJECTIVES

  • Effective sector leadership by facilitating sharing of expertise, collaboration and communication between sectors, which promotes the advance of knowledge and offers wider societal, policy and business benefits;
  • Creating a strong, coherent narrative for what bikes can deliver for society, how they can be used and the benefits they bring to increase visibility of the sector at market and EU-levels;
  • Predicting market sizes and trends in the consumer domestic, commercial and cyclelogistics markets to encourage funding and market opportunities and overall sector growth;
  • Significant advocacy work to make cargo bikes and cycle logistics an integral part of EU mobility strategies and EU Commission’s work programs;
  • Developing a European cargo bike standard.

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Cargo Bike and Cycle Logistics Success Stories

  • The Dutch brand Babboe, supplier of family cargo bikes since 2007, will start operating in the goods transport sector. The new Babboe Pro cargo bikes are the ideal way to transport goods in an urban environment. These cargo bikes are equipped with a powerful electric assistance system. The trendy, well-designed and robust composite box is very suitable for business providers’ mobile advertising.

  • More and more municipalities and federal states are promoting the purchase of private and commercial cargo bikes. A new overview page provides basic information on over 60 cargo bike purchase subsidies in Germany and Austria. The overview of the manufacturer and dealer-neutral blog cargobike.jetzt is supported by prominent players in the bicycle industry. Partners are the German bicycle industry association ZIV, the German bicycle leasing provider JobRad and the Austrian Cargobike test project KlimaEntLaster. 

  • Cycling has a long track record of being the most reliable and resilient transport option in times of crisis. As we are facing the unprecedented situation of the Corona crisis, our lives are turned upside down with more than 100 million Europeans under restricted movement. What we learn is that mobility systems must be agile and resilient enough to ensure public safety as well as the continuous flow of people and goods at all times. As the world is coming to a staggering halt, the bicycle emerges as a community lifeline in its wake. All over Europe, it is used for spreading solidarity and optimism through neighbourly help.

  • New technology, designed to show how people travel across cities by cargo bike, is being trialled in Edinburgh by Sustrans Scotland’s Cargo Bike Library. Developed by See.Sense, the sensors will provide information journey mapping and heatmaps of popular routes. It will also collect data on patterns of swerving and braking which could be used to identify areas where riders experience difficulties. It is hoped the data could then be used to improve the design of the capital’s cycling infrastructure for cargo bike users.

  • 10 December, Brussels – The cargo bike advocacy community in Europe was rewarded yesterday when the importance of cycle logistics was recognised in the European Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. The strategic document that will guide EU policy on transport and mobility up to 2030 explicitly mentions cargo bikes as a solution for urban logistics.

    This is a very important achievement for the cargo bike and cycle logistics sector as it finally gives a status to the industry. This will have an impact in the future decisions on policies at urban level and it can influence the allocation of EU funding. Cargo bikes are part of the strategy and will play a more and more important role at EU level decision-making.

MEMBERS

online monthly meeting every 3rd Tuesday of the month

JOINING THE GROUP

This group is a membership-driven initiative which works together with the support of the CIE Secretariat. Membership is open to all Cycling Industries Europe members and full members of the European Cycle Logistics Federation (ECLF).

Why join the Cargo Bike Cycle Logistics Experts Group?

The European leadership group will help to drive the sector forward. Issues can be discussed and dealt with in an industry wide forum, saving you time and providing greater efficiency. You will benefit from strong advocacy work, increased visibility for your company and for the sector. Work will cover specific topics such active participation in the development of the 1st European Standard on cargo bike and significant advocacy work to make cargo bikes and cycle logistics an integral part of EU mobility strategies and work programmes.

 

 

 

Join this Expert Group