Electric Cargo Bikeshare Member Event Recap

The popularity of electric cargo bikes has risen in recent years for its practical and climate friendly way of moving people and products. With the rise of personal electric cargo bikes, there has also been a growing interest in incorporating them into shared fleets. Systems in Europe are leading the way for incorporating electric cargo bikes into the shared micromobility landscape, as conversation, planning, and pilots brew in North America. On May 16th, NABSA brought together leaders, innovators, and researchers in the European context to share and discuss with NABSA members their experiences and learnings from electric cargo bikeshare. Michael Bissel from Technische Universität Berlin shared research investigating the potential of cargo bikesharing to reduce private car ownership as well as the psychological motives for cargo bike use compared to cars. Patrick Donnelly with Beryl, a micromobility provider, shared takeaways from launching and operating cargo bikeshare in the U.K. Yorick van Berkel from the City of Amsterdam, provided an overview of their shared mobility landscape and insights from incorporating electric cargo bikeshare. 

The presenters were:

• Michael Bissel, Technische Universität Berlin
• Patrick Donnelly, Beryl
• Yorick van Berkel, City of Amsterdam

Here are some takeaways from the event:

• Research suggests that cargo bikesharing contributes to car ownership reduction.
• User surveys show that cycling infrastructure improvements increase individuals’ likelihood to choose a cargo bikeshare trip over a car trip.
• Electric cargo bikeshare is an innovative addition to a shared micromobility system that can help provide solutions for transporting a higher volume of items and passengers. 
• Round trip cargo bikeshare hubs can contribute to community ownership of a program and help manage the use of public space by having a smaller footprint compared to that of a car. 

Thank you to our panelists for the great information and for sharing their insights! 

NABSA members can access the event recording and presentation deck here after logging into their Member Center Account. NABSA members that need to create their Member Center account can do so here.