Source: Eurobike

For tradespeople needing more than a cargo bike, numerous alternatives exist before resorting to a van. Increasingly, companies are adding small electric vehicles to their fleets, particularly in building services, landscaping, gardening, and local municipalities.

Media coverage has highlighted this trend extensively. For instance, two years ago, Markus Remy, a chimney sweep in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany, began using an e-cargo bike for his rounds, a story which gained attention in local and national news. A year earlier, Walter Babel, a chimney sweep from Borchen near Paderborn, incorporated two e-cargo bikes into his operations, viewing them as logical investments for employee health and environmental protection. A further chimney sweep, Andreas Raschke from Gilching made headlines in 2019 for using his cargo bike and trailer in all weather conditions, including snow. Similarly, Christian Borgen, a gas, water, and heating engineer from Niederrad near Frankfurt, travels to clients by bike, transporting tools and materials in a trailer. These examples are just a few among many.

Versatile mobility solutions are rising

Companies seek to avoid common issues associated with larger commercial vehicles, such as traffic congestion, parking difficulties, and manoeuvrability challenges in narrow streets or courtyards.

Exploring the market reveals a variety of what Eurobike has named “fine mobility” solutions, from electric trolleys and hand trucks to traditional bikes for tradespeople, e-cargo bikes, trailers for motorized scooters, and electric mini trucks. This trend represents a growing interest in the “world of wheels between shoes and cars,” or more aptly, “the world of wheels between boots and vans.”

Eurobike and Ecomobility

At past editions of Eurobike, a leading platform for the bike industry, the Cargo Bike Academy and Cargo Bike Area have highlighted the advances and versatility of cargo bikes. This year, Eurobike introduces the Ecomobility Experience Gallery in Hall 8, showcasing a wide selection of fine mobility commercial vehicles. This exhibition aims to provide hands-on experiences with these innovative transport solutions.

Examples of fine mobility solutions

• The ARI 458 Tipper is a light electric transporter capable of carrying 531 to 648 kilograms of cargo and up to 2.05 square meters of load, making it ideal for various trades, construction sites, or landscaping.
• The AIXAM Pro e-Truck is a small tipper transporter with a range of 150 kilometres, a two-square-meter cargo area, and a load capacity of 327 kilograms, suitable for multiple applications.
• The Goupil G2 offers an eco-friendly, quiet solution perfect for tourist sites, hotels, parks, and public areas, available in different configurations including a rubbish tipper.
• GECO Heavy Truck XP, a three-wheeled flatbed pickup, has a loading area of 1.27 square meters and a 500-kilogram capacity, ideal for areas with restricted access.
• The BAYK VeloBRING is a high-power pedelec cargo bike with a robust construction and a 318-kilogram carrying capacity, providing a versatile, non-fully electric option.
• Metrucks Doer minitruck, developed on a pedelec platform, can carry up to 200 kilograms and is eagerly anticipated in the market.

Cargo bikes

Additionally, cargo bikes like the Chike e-cargo bike and the Nanuk Megaliner demonstrate the wide range of options available. The Chike e-cargo bike is narrow and manoeuvrable, carrying up to 80 kilograms, while the Nanuk Megaliner can handle up to half a tonne, suitable for transporting carpentry materials.

Hand-pulled transport solutions

Eurokraft’s hand platform trucks with a one-tonne load capacity and Zallys’ TR 30 motorized trolley, which can carry up to 300 kilograms with electric assistance, further exemplify the fine mobility segment’s diversity.

Importance to small and medium sized businesses

Fine mobility solutions are particularly relevant for small and medium-sized businesses. In Germany alone, there are approximately 570,000 craft-related businesses, nearly 20,000 garden and landscaping companies, and 60,000 contract cleaning businesses with 700,000 employees. If these companies adopt finer transport solutions, they will significantly contribute to the shift towards sustainable transport.