Sources: CIXI, Minimal, Zag Daily

This summer, cargo vehicles manufacturer and LEVA-EU member Minimal has announced collaborations with fellow member CIXI, the Royal Mail, and Brompton, as it continues its mission to empower urban logistics with high efficiency.

After meeting at Eurobike 2026, Minimal and CIXI have joined forces to introduce a Pedal 4 model equipped with CIXI’s groundbreaking PERS technology.

Designed for fleet managers and delivery riders, Minimal’s CTO and Co-Founder, Liam Sill, said the following about the new Pedal 4 model variant:

“The product feels amazing. With the CIXI system, we can tune that pedal feel so that it’s accessible to anybody who wants to do this type of job.”

CIXI explains that the integration of its system into the Pedal 4 model improves efficiency and maintenance with the elimination of mechanical components, which are more prone to wear and tear (chains, derailleurs and sprockets).

CIXI has announced that the Pedal 4 will be launching soon, and that it will be working with Minimal on its chainless 2-wheel cargo bike, the Pedal 2.

Partnership with Royal Mail

Minimal has announced its partnership with the UK’s largest postal and delivery service, Royal Mail, declaring it as its biggest deployment to date, with its Pedal 4 being the provider’s first electric cargo bike supplying delivery in UK cities including London, Brighton, and Cambridge.

The company notes the move as a clear sign that last-mile delivery needs purpose-built vehicles, with its Pedal 4 being selected to help the Royal Mail reach its Net-Zero target by 2040.

This latest move follows Royal Mail introducing micro electric vehicles to its fleet last year.

Initially, the first 20 Pedal 4 cargo e-bikes will be deployed in London, Brighton and Cambridge. Royal Mail states that the model gives its delivery offices more flexibility and opens up its recruitment to non-drivers, thanks to the Pedal 4 being allowed on cycle lanes, greenways and roads with 30 mph speed limits, and not requiring a driving license for use.

Minimal’s CEO, Patrick Bion, adds that the Pedal 4 has carried out more deliveries per hour than van-based alternatives, with lower operating costs. The Pedal 4 has been described as costing 3.3p per mile to operate; Minimal has estimated that this rate is 2.2 times cheaper than an electric van, and 5 times cheaper than a diesel vehicle.

Over the next five years, Minimal expects total ownership costs to be approximately 80% lower than electric vans and micro electric vehicles.

Collaboration with Brompton

Minimal’s Pedal 4 is also being used by folding bike brand, Brompton, for the pilot of a “mobile hire dock” in London, with future operation expected to be expanded across the UK. The new initiative aims to bring bike hire to busy locations such as transport hubs or mass events, without the need to set up a permanent base.

The pilot will involve Pedal 4 transporting up to 11 Brompton bicycles in a standard configuration, with a wider range of models to be offered as the pilot progresses.

Minimal’s Patrick Bion has explained to Zag Daily how its cargo bike supports Brompton’s new mobile hire service, and what it means for urban mobility.

“It can securely transport a significant number of bikes, it facilitates easy deployment and retrieval of rentals in high-traffic areas and it’s well-suited to moving through dense urban areas, providing greater mobility for Brompton’s rental service than previously possible.”

“The collaboration between two British engineering pioneers – one fifty years old and one new to market – highlights a wider shift towards smaller, more effective modes of transport in dense cities such as London,”

“It seems fitting that Brompton’s bike rental service uses a cargo bike to deploy and retrieve rentals and we’re excited to have two great products come together to support better urban mobility.”