Source: London Daily News, Solve the School Run Image source: Solve the School Run

New research published by UK charity Solve the School Run (STSR) and advocacy organisation Clean Cities (CC) shows that families can save thousands of pounds a year by swapping their car for an electric cargo bike. However, many households do not have access to suitable storage facilities or are deterred by high up-front costs, so they cannot make the switch.

The calculations made by STSR and CC demonstrate that using an e-cargo bike and public transport for family travel is £4,000 (€4,636) a year cheaper than using a second-hand family car and public transport. Analysis by Solve the School Run includes purchase price, depreciation, running costs, and additional transport costs.

CC analysed data from Transport for London which showed that cargo bike journeys doubled between 2022 and 2024, while 2025 Bicycle Association figures showed a 36% year-on-year increase in sales of electric cargo bikes. Despite this, UK sales lag behind other European countries with only 4,000 sold in 2022, compared to 70,000 in France, and 90,000 in Germany. Barriers include up-front costs (with £6,000 being a typical purchase price), and safe storage space.

Obstacles to switching

“We speak to hundreds of families every year who are keen to buy an e-cargo bike, but lack of secure storage stops them,” said Alper Muduroglu, CEO of social enterprise Peddle My Wheels. “It means families in flats – who could benefit most from lower transport costs – are effectively locked out.”

Cargo bikes are too large to use standard cycle hangar facilities; the report on the research reveals that, in London, only two cargo bike-specific secure hangar spaces are available – one for every 4,500,000 people in the capital. This is compared to one million parking spaces for cars. 

Nicola Pastore, co-founder of STSR, said: “In a cost-of-living crisis, we don’t think it’s fair that families are locked out of savings in this way. Families want a practical, affordable alternative to the car. Councils set aside kerbside space to park cars, why not do the same for a form of transport that is cleaner and cheaper?”

How councils can support change

STSR is calling on London boroughs to develop and implement strategies for secure on-street cargo bike parking, and introduce subsidies to boost accessibility to cargo bikes, as outlined in its Streets for Kids manifesto, and as successfully demonstrated by the borough of Richmond. STSR are also asking the Mayor for a London-wide strategy for family e-cargo bikes, aligning with Transport for London’s Cargo Bike Action Plan which focuses on last-mile logistics. 

Dr Ian Philips, Associate Professor at the University of Leeds, said: “Cargo bikes help people keep active, do activities with family that they might not otherwise have done and they replace car trips – showing great potential for health benefits and carbon savings. Add to this the financial and convenience benefits of these bikes and you have a very strong case for cargo bikes to become a more mainstream form of family travel – as they are in other European countries.”

Celebrity advocacy

High-profile cargo bike advocates include TV presenter Dr Chris Van Tulleken, and broadcaster Laura Jackson, who both spoke about their experiences.

Dr Van Tulleken said, “We replaced our car with a cargo bike and have never looked back. It’s way cheaper and faster than a car, and our favourite way to get all three kids around London – they love it, and I love it. It’s great for our health, our happiness, our climate and our community.”

Laura Jackson said, “School runs in London rush hour used to be chaotic with three kids, until our Benno. Now we ride together on calmer routes, skipping traffic. E-cargo bikes could transform family travel, but only if boroughs back them with subsidies, secure parking, and cycle training.”