To Reduce Traffic, This Company Wants Cargo E-Bikes to Replace Delivery Vans
URB-E is betting that a lot of city trucks can be swapped with its less energy-intensive e-bikes that can haul 800 pounds.
An URB-E cargo bike hitched with a container.
Source: URB-EOn city streets, on most days, Amazon delivery vans , UPS trucks, Ubers and vehicles for instant delivery services all vie for space. A Los Angeles-based company is aiming to solve the problem of urban congestion and the emissions that come with it by swapping out the delivery trucks with cargo e-bikes.
URB-E is carving out a high-density niche in the market for electric commercial vehicles, which market intelligence advisory Guidehouse Insights says is expected to hit $370 billion by 2030. They want to build an ecosystem around cargo e-bikes, aiming to expand from 50 to 500 of them by next year.
“Cargo e-bikes let delivery workers avoid car traffic congestion, reduce pollution and are safer vehicles on our streets than trucks,” says Sarah Kaufman, associate director of Rudin Center for Transportation at New York University. “Cities all over the world are starting to reshape themselves for smaller-form vehicles and more human-powered transportation; cargo e-bikes fit perfectly into this vision.”