Author Archives: Annick Roetynck

About Annick Roetynck

Annick is the Manager of LEVA-EU, with decades of experience in two-wheeled and light electric mobility.

• iF DESIGN AWARD 2021 – Registrations by 1 December

  23/11/2020 11:48 Comments Off on iF DESIGN AWARD 2021 – Registrations by 1 December

  Source iF World Design Guide – Every year, the iF DESIGN AWARD identifies outstanding design, its relevance for business and everyday life and stands for one of the most important seals of quality in the world.

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  Awarded in Germany since 1953, the iF label is a reliable sign of good design for consumers as well as the design community.

  Designers, manufacturers, architects and interior designers who want their products or projects evaluated by internationally recognized design experts have been turning to the iF DESIGN AWARD for decades. They do so to prove that their company puts design in the focus of its business and to attract international attention. Winning an iF DESIGN AWARD will help compagnies stand out from the competition, elevate their branding and reach new target groups.

  Find out more about how compagnies can benefit from this year’s improvements below.

  Sign up until 1 December

  Photo credits: iF World Design Guide

• The Business Case For Cargo Bikes

  11:45 Comments Off on The Business Case For Cargo Bikes

  Source: Tom Parr on Urban Mobility Daily 07 October 2020 – As traffic volumes increase in city centres, partly fuelled by deliveries from a COVID boosted e-commerce sector, organisations are looking for a silver bullet for urban logistics. But has it been sitting right here under our noses all this time?

  The (electric) cargo bike is making a break for the mainstream. And not just in traditional northern European cargo bike heartlands such as the Netherlands and Denmark, but also in places like Germany, France, the UK and Canada. Sales are constantly booming with manufacturers reporting increases of over 50% year-on-year despite COVID. However, in spite of their enormous potential, (electric) cargo bikes are still thought of by many as an oddity; a niche item.

  Real-life case studies show that there is a clear business case for cycle logistics. In recent years the likes of FedEx, DHL, UPS, Amazon, DB Schenker, DPD, GLS and Hermes have all added (electric) cargo bikes to their fleets, and across the world (electric) cargo bikes are used by organisations of all shapes and sizes. Let’s rewind and explore some of the reasons why.

  They’re quicker. Time and time again it has been shown that (electric) cargo bikes can get the job done quicker in cities. Data from a cycle logistics hub set up in car-addicted Sydney in 2016 showed that (electric) cargo bikes travelled a third few kilometres than vans, taking less than half the time to complete their rounds. But how? (electric) Bikes are nimbler, can use cycle lanes, take shortcuts and park with ease. Meanwhile, vans spent three times as long parked up compared to (e-) bikes. And whilst bike couriers hardly needed to walk at all – having parked just outside the door, van drivers walked approximately a third of their total distance. In Sydney it’s evidently easier to just park and walk than to constantly drive around looking for parking spaces.

  They’re energy efficient. A study by Velove and the Swedish Energy Agency showed that e-cargo bikes consume 94% less energy than traditional e-van for the same deliveries. Yes you read that right: 94% less. Weight is the obvious factor here; the e-van tested, a Nissan e-NV200, weighed approximately 17 times as much as the e-cargo bike. And like in Sydney, routing is also key, with cargo bikes able to take much shorter routes than e-vans.

  Their footprint is small. On emissions, as well-documented as the health benefits of reduced air pollution are for public health, it is also becoming clearer that the vehicle tailpipe is not the only offender. Fine particulate matter (PM) emissions from tyre and brake wear can have a detrimental effect on urban air quality and have also been shown to cause microplastic marine pollution. Simply swapping ICE vehicles for electric does not appear to mitigate this.

  In both cases, (electric) cargo bikes do have an environmental impact. However, the lower weights and speeds involved mean that their footprint is orders of magnitude slimmer.

  It’s the Decade of the (Electric) Cargo Bike. In terms of both costs and environmental impact then, the cargo bike has a distinct edge – but that’s not all. Depending on where you’re based, (electric) cargo bike sales are now often supported by subsidies* from local, regional or national government. Cities worldwide are realising that alongside cycling for personal mobility, cycle logistics is intensely compatible with their efforts to foster liveable urban environments. If you close your city centre to internal combustion engine vehicles, the (electric) cargo bike is an important ally to keep urban logistics flows going.

  *LEVA-EU is collecting information on subsidies for light, electric vehicles here.

  Photo credits: Rad Power Bikes

• Changes to EU urban access regulations

  11:34 Comments Off on Changes to EU urban access regulations

  Source: Eltis 26 October 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic has made many people rethink how cities should be used. Urban vehicle access regulations (UVARs) across Europe are changing, with a focus on cleaner air and fewer cars.

  Since 1 November 2020, Amsterdam has banned Euro 3 passenger cars from entering its low emission zone, situated within its A10 ring road. By 2022, lorries entering the zone will have to be at least Euro 6, whilst buses and coaches will need to be zero emission. By 2025 all vehicles entering this zone will need to be zero emission, except private cars. The current plan is for cars to be zero emission by 2030 at which point Amsterdam hopes to have an entirely emission free zone for all vehicles. Denmark, the French city of Grenoble and cities in northern Italy are also tightening their respective low emission zone restrictions.

  Several cities across Europe have recently introduced new low emission zones. From 1 January 2023, the whole of the Belgian Walloon region will become low emission zone, while the German city of Stuttgart has started enforcing Euro 6 since October 2020. In France, seven cities are looking to implement new low emission zones as of 2021.

  A new EU project, UVAR Box, aims to help road users keep up with the changing access regulations across Europe. The project aims to provide tools to structure data on UVARs in machine readable format that can be used in mobile applications, fleet management tools and navigation devices.

  For more in-depth information see https://urbanaccessregulations.eu.

  • Photo by Gary Butterfield on Unsplash.

• Taipei Cycle 2021-ONLINE application opens

  11:31 Comments Off on Taipei Cycle 2021-ONLINE application opens

  Source: Taipei Cycle 18 November 2020 – Taipei Cycle 2021 has opened an application process for an online and physical show since November 18. Due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic this year and the unpredictability of global travel restrictions in 2021, the objective is to offer flexibility for participation.

  Exhibitors who wish to continue to participate in Taipei Cycle 2021 (online or physical) need to apply for their space online. As for the physical show, this will be relocated. The new location will be communicated by early January.

  In the online form below, exhibitors can apply for both the online and physical of the show.

  Since June, TAITRA has adopted SSO system (Single Sign-on). All exhibitors need to register their account before processing the online application.

  Apply for space online

  Photo credits: Taipei Cycle.

• Bafang Holds 5th EPAC Technology Fair

  11:01 Comments Off on Bafang Holds 5th EPAC Technology Fair

  Over 350 guests took part over two days in the 5th Bafang annual EPAC technology fair, with a focus this year on establishing standards for e-bikes, and introductions of new products and innovations from the e-bike systems manufacturer.

  Source Bafang Electric – from November 12-13, 2020, the 5th Electronically Power Assisted Cycles (EPAC) Technology Fair was held by Bafang in Suzhou, China. The annual event, initiated and promoted by Bafang in 2015, is now an important, anticipated industry event. Its mission is to provide a platform for joint discussions on industry development trends, the sharing and exchange of information on pedelec standard changes and market differences in various countries and regions around the world, and to help more industry professionals to understand and quickly enter the Chinese and global pedelec markets.

  The theme for this year’s fair was “Work Hand in Hand, Win-win Cooperation”, with over 350 guests from more than 150 pedelec brands, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), industry associations and certification agencies invited to attend, the largest number in the event’s history. The theme was designed to reflect Bafang’s strong focus on close communication and collaboration with the pedelec manufacturing sector, to provide both manufacturers and end users with high-quality products to meet the market’s technical and performance demands.

  Mr. Guo Wenyu, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the China Bicycle Association, delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the association, highlighting Bafang’s outstanding contributions, as a leader in their field, to the development of the industry over the years, and encouraging the entire industry to respond to China’s call to develop both domestic and international markets.

  Also speaking at the event, Mr. Wang Qinghua, Bafang Chairman and General Manager, stated, “Bafang will continue to increase investment in research and development. The company will not only endeavor to expand in overseas markets and build up its international brand image, but also respond to China’s call to enhance domestic circulation, providing better products to enhance people’s quality of life.”

  

  Bafang staff delivered several sessions, demonstrating a complete set of system solutions and new products, and introducing a range of Bafang services and benefits. The key “Powerful, Smooth, Silent” characteristics of Bafang products were outlined, alongside application solutions for multiple scenarios. Bafang’s one-stop shopping facilities were introduced, and information given on the multiple options available for both domestic and global customers’ new product design arrangements for 2021.

• E-Mopeds and E-Motorcycles are B(L)ooming in Europe

  16/11/2020 17:50 Comments Off on E-Mopeds and E-Motorcycles are B(L)ooming in Europe

  ACEM has published the electric moped and motorcycle registrations up to September 2020 for a number of key member states. In spite of the Corona-crisis, the market is soaring.

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  The electric motorcycle statistics include France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. In these countries a range of subsidies and other financial incentives are in place to push the transition to electric. The efforts are clearly paying off, with double, sometimes even triple digits’ growth. The biggest market is currently Spain, which registered almost 5,000 new e-motorcycles, followed by Italy and France.

  The Corona-crisis only had a clear impact in April, when registrations definitely dwindled due to lockdown. However, this was more than compensated in May when registrations for these countries jumped to 2,428, almost 4 times more than in May 2019.

  The share of e-motorcycles in total registrations still is only 2% but that is double the 2019 result. Whilst electric motorcycles have grown considerably, their ICE counterparts lost 4%.

  

  As for mopeds, ACEM reported on Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Total registrations for these countries increased by 12.6% to 45,205. They now have a respectable share of 6.4% in total registrations, a growth of one percentage point. Their ICE counterparts lost 4.2%. The decline of petrol mopeds and growth of electric versions has been going on for several years now. It has to be kept in mind however that moped registrations include speed pedelecs and in some countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, these reach significant numbers.

  In Belgium, for instance, the total of 11,305 mopeds includes 9,636 speed pedelecs. Total moped registrations in Belgium lost 10.8% in comparison to the same period in 2019. The loss is entirely due to traditional e-mopeds. The Flemish subsidy for these finished end 2019 and that had an immediate impact on sales. Thanks to the subsidy, e-mopeds up to 45 km/h (excl. speed pedelecs) jumped from 1,311 in 2018 to 3,018 in 2019. At the end of October 2020, only 1,617 had been registered.

  In France, registrations went down by more than 30%. This is not just due to Covid-19. The statistics went into red from the start of the year. March and April were particularly bad, whereas since June some recovery appears to be underway. Apart from these disappointing results, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain posted excellent numbers with growth of 83%, 51% and 76% respectively.

  All in all, the market is booming and blooming. Perhaps, the Corona-crisis has some positive impacts. People may have purchased a moped or motorcycle to avoid public transport. The good weather in Spring and Summer were perhaps also a stimulating factor. And maybe the fact the pandemic often resulted in less cars, vans and trucks on the road gave would-be motorcyclists the impression of safer riding conditions, thus winning them over.

  

• UK Petition to Increase Speed Limit of 25 km/h E-Bikes

  13/11/2020 13:54 Comments Off on UK Petition to Increase Speed Limit of 25 km/h E-Bikes

  On 1 January 2021, the UK definitely leaves the EU, even though it is still not decided under which terms. For light, electric vehicles, this could mean that the UK decides to deviate from EU law. One petition is already calling for change.

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  With less than 2 months to go for the UK’s final departure from the EU, nothing has been decided yet on LEV-legislation. For a while now, British civil servants are no longer participate in relevant EU discussions. Nevertheless, no-one has a clear idea of what is about to happen. Will the UK simply transfer L-category legislation? Will they stick with the Machinery Directive and the harmonised standards, such as EN 15194? The whole business is eagerly awaiting final answers.

  A few weeks ago, we have announced that the UK is about to end the anti-dumping duties on conventional bikes, but any further news about the anti-dumping on e-bikes is not forthcoming. Nevertheless, the logical path for the UK would be to cancel these as well.

  In the meantime, a petition to increase the speed limit for 25 km/h electric bicycles has been online for some time. The signatories are  asking the British government to consider adjusting this speed limit to be in line with US legislation of 20Mph, i.e. around 32 km/h.

  Further justification for the request is as follows: “Its commonly accepted in the cycling community that the current limit reduces the likelihood that people will swap their car for an electric bike and that the speed difference being so much lower than a car increases the danger presented to cyclists when sharing the road.“
  “Additionally, there are a large number of bikes in the UK that have bypassed or do not conform to the current legislation. Increasing it would prevent much faster bicycles from making their way onto the roads and paths.“

  It is strange that the petition does not include a request to allow for the so-called “twist and go” again. The UK allowed a throttle on an ebike for a very long time, thus breaching EU legislation. The alignment with Regulation 168/2013 happened not that long ago.

  If the petition gets 10,000 signatures, the UK government has to respond to the petition. The counter is currently at 4,235. The petition is here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/332333.

  Photo by Jay Mullings on Unsplash

• VanMoof’s Ties Carlier: Why it’s time to update Europe’s outdated e-bike speed limit

  10/11/2020 19:43 Comments Off on VanMoof’s Ties Carlier: Why it’s time to update Europe’s outdated e-bike speed limit

  When I first learned that police in Germany were stopping VanMoof bikes and taking them off the road if the maximum supported speed had the ability to exceed 25km/h, I found it quite ironic. After all, this was the same country where I used to go as a young man to drive 260km/h on the Autobahn and get a thumbs up from the very same police. So I started digging deep into the regulations and history of e-bikes. A few important questions kept coming to mind. Why has progress been so limited? Why are we stifling rather than encouraging an exciting transportation breakthrough? Why are we putting the brakes on one of the world’s fastest-growing markets? At VanMoof we feel so strongly about this because we want to get the next billion on bikes by making bike commuting as accessible as possible. One of the ways to do that is to reassess current EU regulations which class all light electric vehicles capable of going faster than 25km/hr as mopeds. For hundreds of millions of people the current assistance limit of 25km/hr is a big restriction and makes cars seem much more attractive. This in turn perpetuates congested urban spaces and polluted city air. But let’s rewind.

  

  Tech outpaces regulations
  The reason I’m writing about this is that over the past months we’ve had a number of cases in Germany of our riders being stopped by police for simply having the ability to exceed the 25km/h limit EU default setting by switching to the US country setting in our app (the USA allows assisted support up to 32km/h for all Class 1 e-bikes). We are making a change on November 17 to avoid any discussion on adherence to these laws. But I want to share here the reason we think the laws need to be modernized. The current EU rules date back to the 1990s and were established with limited rationale. Officials relied on what they knew – the moped. This makes little sense as the mass and velocity of an e-bike is significantly lower than a moped. But back then not many people had ever ridden an electric bike. If you spotted one it was most likely in and around small towns in the Netherlands where myself and my brother grew up. The bikes themselves were clunky and the technology rudimentary. A heavy battery pack retrofitted onto the back of an even heavier modified bike. At the time they were used mostly by elderly people as an assistive mobility device. We have come a long way since then. E-bikes have evolved and are mainstreaming as a high tech, mass appeal mobility option, especially for those living in cities with a commute problem to solve.

  

  Car’s unchallenged urban supremacy
  Back then, cars dominated our cities – just as they do now. They continue to be prioritized over every other mobility model, despite car use and ownership in cities trending down. Cars take up too much space and are gridlocked 95% of the time, yet most major global cities are still undeniably car-centric. When cars take up so much of our public space it makes cities far less liveable. It also makes them far less breathable. Toxic air in many of the world’s top cities has forced authorities to introduce congestion charges and license plate lotteries. Even switching just a fraction of car users to e-bikes will help tackle some of these huge contemporary challenges. For a brief moment earlier this year we were able to see urban landscapes free of traffic. That’s what our future cities can look like if we all drive fewer cars. But getting people out of cars and onto bikes means being able to offer a real alternative. Lower average speed is already seen as a limitation by many people when considering that change. A 25km/h limit means it is harder for e-bikes to compete with cars, especially for those with commutes of more than 10km. And these are the areas where e-bikes can make the biggest impact on quality of life.

  

  We should not settle for less
  Let’s keep focused on the big picture. We believe that smart decisions by those in power can nudge many more people to discover the joy of commuting by bike. The transformational potential of e-bikes, combined with less cars on the road, will make cities cleaner and more vibrant. One in three people who switch do so because of how they shrink cities, the savings on travel time and the more predictable commutes. Outdated regulations make it easier for people to choose a car for shorter commutes. This only preserves the status quo, limits overall adoption, holds back progress in cities, and puts pressure on already overcrowded public transport. We believe our riders – and all riders – deserve a smarter, cleaner future and a more diverse mobility mix, with laws that reflect that diversity and unleash that potential.

  

  About this author:
  Ties is the co-founder of VanMoof. Dividing his time between Taipei and Amsterdam, he’s always on the hunt for the next biking breakthrough.

• Join LEVA-EU Now

  09/11/2020 13:02 Comments Off on Join LEVA-EU Now

  LEVA-EU Membership is usually valid for one year from the date that you confirm your affiliation. However, the LEVA-EU board has decided to apply 1 November as a cut-off date for next year membership. If you join between 1 November and 31 December, your membership will run until 31 December of the next year.

  So if you join now, your membership will be valid until 31 December 2022. Moreover, if you join now, you will avoid the indexing, which is always applied on 1 January and usually results in a slight increase of the fees with around 2%.

  Read up on why you should become a member of LEVA-EU here. You will find full details on what we do under “What We Do” in the top menu of the homepage..

  To apply for membership, simply complete and send the online form here.

  We hope we will have the pleasure of welcoming you as a LEVA-EU Member soon!

  The LEVA-EU Team,
  Annick, Bram, Eddie, Dennis, Willow and Thoa

  Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash