Speed Pedelec owners have been given a choice of riding on roads or cycle paths in a pilot scheme in the Netherlands
Current laws in the Netherlands stipulate that Speed Pedelecs are not allowed to use cycle paths. However, riders may prefer to use these routes instead of joining a busy or fast road network, or when the cycle path gives a shorter route, or if parents are cycling with their children on the school commute, before continuing to their workplace. The main concern of such use however, would be safety.
Data on Speed Pedelec speeds was compiled by DTV Consultants, commissioned by Tour de Force. The report was published in February this year and included information on Amersfoort and Rotterdam pilot schemes. Owners were able to apply for an exemption, allowing them to use the cycle paths in dense urban areas. The schemes were simple to create and didn’t cause any confrontation. Although faster than regular bikes, early data also showed no greater number of crashes than with regular cyclists. However, there was not enough data to make any conclusions on whether the cycle path option affects road safety for these users.
Allowing Speed Pedelec riders to use roadways and cycle paths seems sensible. The high speed of such bikes means they can compete with vehicles on road networks, and appeal over long distances, in hopes of encouraging new users and aiding health and the environment. National agreements and regulations on road use by the Speed Pedelec are advocated for by Tour de Force. Until wider research is completed, they suggest that users in those pilot regions should be given the opportunity to ride on local cycle paths.
Following completion of the aforementioned pilot schemes, a new, much larger trial is planned in Utrecht.
Comments Off on E-bike manufacturer QWIC opens brand new Experience center in Amsterdam North
The QWIC Experience center is open once more. Since the beginning of this year, QWIC has moved into a brand new building in Amsterdam North. After the move from Amstelveen and the construction of the new location, the doors of the Experience center are now open to consumers.
The new Experience center has an area of over 500m2. Consumers can view the entire QWIC collection there and enjoy test rides on all available models. In addition, QWIC’s e-bike experts are ready to inform visitors about the technical aspects of e-bikes.
Visit by appointment
Visitors to the QWIC Experience center can take advantage of extensive tailor-made advice. In order to help customers in the best possible way and for them to enjoy focused attention, it is possible to reserve a time slot for the visit. This can be done via the QWIC website: https://qwic.nl/qwic-showroom/.
Location & opening times
Disketteweg 53, 1033 NW Amsterdam Open from Wednesday to Friday from 09:30 to 17:00 (excluding public holidays).
Parking
There are plenty of free parking spaces next to the building, and electric charging stations are also available. Of course there is also ample parking for bicycles.
Experience center to support QWIC dealers
It is not possible to purchase an e-bike in the QWIC Experience center. QWIC e-bikes are sold through a network of 750 QWIC sales outlets. This means that there is always a QWIC dealer nearby who can provide service if necessary.
Sustainability
In addition to a convenient location, good accessibility and sufficient space, sustainability was an important aspect for QWIC in choosing the right location. The new location is an energy-efficient and sustainable building, with solar panels and constructed using circular materials.
About QWIC
QWIC is a fast-growing manufacturer of premium design e-bikes. The producer is active in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. QWIC’s ambition is to reduce current mobility problems and environmental pollution by developing innovative electric bicycles. With a modern design and the use of the best components, QWIC takes its electric bicycles to a higher level every year. This is proven by the many e-bike awards that QWIC has recently won, such as the AD Bike Test 2021, the ElektroRad Test 2022 and internationally recognised design awards like the German Design Award 2022. www.qwic.nl
Comments Off on Marc Burkhardt joins QWIC as Sales Representative Germany
E-bike manufacturer and LEVA-EU member QWIC is excited to announce the addition of a new team member, Marc Burkhardt. As of April 3rd, Marc starts as the new Sales Representative for the Western part of Germany
Marc is a highly experienced sales professional with over 30 years of sales experience, including over 20 years of experience in the specialist retail sector in the mobile phone industry. With his track record, he brings a wealth of experience to the QWIC team.
Marc Burkhardt: “I am excited to join the QWIC family and promote the brand’s e-bikes to existing and new dealers. QWIC is an exciting and innovative company, and I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues to drive the growth of the brand.”
His focus will be on continuing the good cooperation with the existing dealers and also expanding the dealer network, and on securing and expanding the brand positioning in his sales territory.
More vacancies available QWIC is constantly looking for enthusiasts who want to contribute to the growth of QWIC. Do you want to be part of QWIC’s success? Check out all vacancies here.
The municipality of Amsterdam is in consultation with the Dutch government about reducing the speed of e-bikes to 20 km/h to improve road safety. In preparation, they are counting the numbers and speed of e-bikes being ridden.
The counts and measurements will take place at nine locations in the city, recording the types of bicycles being ridden and their speed. In addition, from Thursday 23 March, cameras have been installed to register near accidents. In order to gain insight into the effect on road safety of the many fast bicycles driving around in the capital, the municipality is starting a trial together with the ambulance service. They will also study the first-aid data of bicycle accidents in collaboration with Amsterdam’s hospitals.
Speeding, tuned-up e-bikes and other electric vehicles have long been a thorn in the side of the city authorities, causing a lot of accidents and irritation. In addition, the municipality sees that traffic is changing: it is becoming busier on the cycle paths and the speed differences between cyclists are increasing. According to the municipality, this means that new agreements and rules are needed.
In the eyes of the municipality of Amsterdam, one of the most obvious measures to make traffic safer is to limit the maximum speed. Alderman Melanie van der Horst mentioned a maximum speed of 20 km/h for e-bikes in an article in Het Parool . But reducing the speed on the cycle path is not as easy as it may seem. A maximum speed of 30 km/h will be introduced in many places in the city at the end of this year. According to the law, a lower maximum speed may not be used on a cycle path next to such a carriageway. Amsterdam is now in talks with the government to see if there is a way to make this possible.
E-Bike battery collection and recycling service to trial in the UK later this year
In line with the anticipation for significant growth for electric bike sales in the UK, the Bicycle Association (BA) announced plans to set up UK wide collection and recycling for bike batteries.
The service plans to run in partnership with the European Recycling Platform (ERP), who the BA has appointed to deliver this programme. In other European markets there is already a single collection programme running, with manufacturers participating alongside retailers who act as collection points. The perceived benefits of the scheme are simplicity at retail level, reducing the costs and complexity for bike companies, and a clear and convenient way for customers to return batteries.
Stephen Holt, BA retail trade manager said “With millions of electric bike sales ahead of us, this is an exciting initiative that will make it easy for retailers to safely store faulty and expired batteries in one fireproof rated drum – with one phone call when full to get it swapped out.With the support of electric bike producers, we hope to provide a national network of hundreds of collection points convenient for customers.We are looking forward to working closely with ERP, who are experts in the construction and implementation of such initiatives.”
The BA and ERP plan to begin a trial, which will contribute to a proposed national rollout later this year.
This follows an update on the scheme to members at the BA annual conference in Birmingham where 150 delegates representing more than 90 UK bike businesses attended.
John Redmayne, managing director of ERP UK, said: “ERP UK are delighted to have been chosen by the Bicycle Association as their partner in developing a battery collection service for the sector.With growing numbers of e-bikes in use, the need for the sector to safely and responsibly deal with end of life batteries has been highlighted.We are looking forward to working with the association and using our experience in engineering circular economy solutions to develop a sector-specific service.”
With the recognition of sustainable living and a healthy lifestyle, bicycle uptake continues to increase, yet work remains to make it even more appealing. The National Cycling Congress, organised by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport and the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing, Germany’s flagship cycling trade congress, takes place in Hesse on June 20 and 21, a month that stages another key bicycle event, the 31st Eurobike, which runs from June 21 to 25.
The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport and the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing have endeavoured to make two June events work in tandem. Federal Minister Volker Wissing states: “Next year we are going to combine two major dates for the cycling community in Germany and therefore create more and better opportunities for an exchange between professionals, cycling enthusiasts and policymakers. My goal is to have us all pulling together at our National Cycling Congress to make it easier for people to choose sustainable modes of transport. This includes systematically closing gaps in the cycling network and improving the relationship between bicycles and other vehicles. Since Eurobike follows right after, I’m hoping for plenty of input for digital and innovative solutions. I’m looking forward to a successful event in Frankfurt.”
Hessian Minister of Transport Tarek Al-Wazir adds: “We’re delighted that in June 2023 Hesse will be a focal point for cycling thanks to the National Cycling Congress and Eurobike. For years, we’ve been working not only on making cycling safer. We’ve also been bolstering the role of the bicycle as an everyday means of transport and improving the overall cycle infrastructure. We’ve been investing record sums of money every year to make this happen. The trade events next year will give us the opportunity to showcase Hesse as the perfect place for cycling and to learn from each other by sharing ideas with experts, cyclists, associations, companies in the bicycle industry and policymakers.”
The National Cycling Congress in Messe, Frankfurt, will feature insights from industry experts and clubs and associations. Planning, policy, business, challenges and visions for the future of cycling will be debated, allowing federal government, state governments and municipalities to share ideas on innovative solutions that make cycling more appealing. Last year, over 2,800 experts attended the virtual events, so 2023 is set to be particularly encompassing.
Following the event, bicycle industry enthusiasts and organisations will attend the Eurobike trade fair. Stefan Reisinger, fairnamic managing director and head of Eurobike commented, “We’re delighted that Eurobike’s new Frankfurt edition will continue to live up to the fair’s claim of strengthening political positioning as it is scheduled to coincide with the National Cycling Congress both in terms of time and location,” further adding, “The bicycle industry brings together policymakers and scientists at Eurobike, the epicentre of innovation and development of the bicycle sector. The good thing is that Eurobike will now take place well before the main holiday season in most countries, which puts it in an even better position to establish itself as the leading international meeting place for the bicycle and future mobility industry.”
The 8th National Cycling Congress is organised by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), in cooperation with the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing. Originally founded in 2009 by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, the congress is a biennial event, and is attended by government agencies, private companies, and associations, as well as individuals involved with cycling, transport and mobility or in issues associated closely with cycling.
More information on the 8th National Cycling Congress and the Eurobike is available from:
The Polish city has reserved an annual budget with an objective to increase the use of this sustainable transport option.
The City of Gdynia is forecasting an increase in the number of electric bikes in use around the city, not simply because the weather permits it, but because local authorities have announced a new wave of subsidies to aid local residents with e-bicycle purchases.
The 2022 pilot scheme was met with considerable praise and was somewhat pioneering. As a result, officials have doubled the funding. This transpires that in 2023, the reserve amounts to PLN 200,000 (about 42,500 euros), meaning that 80 local residents will find it more simplistic to purchase an environmentally friendly bicycle.
Soft mobility and Gdynia.
Of some importance, the directive on granting subsidies to residents remains unchanged from 2022. There remains a 50% subsidy on the eligible costs incurred, but not more than PLN 2,500.
An evaluation survey was implemented following last year’s campaign, in which 80% of people who received a subsidy admitted that the purchasing aid did, in fact, increase their interest in this sustainable mode of transport. More than half of those taking part said that they used their electric bikes in colder months, and 97% of purchased bikes receive regular use.
“Last year’s grant turned out to be a great success. The residents were looking forward to the next pool and since December we have received a lot of calls asking when we will restart the project. We are glad that the residents want to change their transport habits and despite the fact that some time has passed since the application was submitted, they are still willing to take advantage of the subsidy,” explained Marek Łucyk, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia for Development.
Half of the funds provided for the subsidy have been provided by the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Gdańsk.
Comments Off on CAKE Subscribe: an all-inclusive subscription model that caters to professional business needs
Launching in Sweden and France, LEVA-EU member, CAKE, has introduced its easy-entry micromobility fleet service.
CAKE, the Swedish maker of premium lightweight, electric motorcycles is pleased to announce CAKE Subscribe: an all-inclusive subscription model that caters to professional business needs. The new program aims to ease the burden of upfront costs associated with buying a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles, by requiring no down payment. Service and technical support are also included.
“I believe our electric motorcycles, mopeds, and electric bicycles are great transportation solutions with a wide range of applications,” said CAKE founder and CEO Stefan Ytterborn. “Whether for a private courier who needs a single bike or a larger business that needs a fleet of vehicles, I think CAKE has the right products for operating in urban environments. By removing down payments and taking care of service we are further reducing TCO for businesses that want to use CAKE motorcycles for their work” continued Ytterborn.
The subscription model comes with no long-term commitments, and because every business need is different, all subscription models will be customized to the unique needs of each client. Whether a business needs a single bike, a massive fleet, or something in between, CAKE Subscribe can provide a risk-free way for businesses to get rolling with CAKE.
CAKE subscribe is available in Sweden and France with more countries to come.
Comments Off on LEVA-EU member Aureus Drive upgrades the Power45 model
A low-entry version of Aureus Drive’s speed pedelec is now available.
Aureus Drive is a speed pedelec/e-bike manufacturer offering a range of green-mobility products, including the Power45 model. The Power45 e-bike was developed by commuters, for commuters and everyday life. Development was based largely on customer feedback and needs; Aureus Drive set itself the goal of creating a product that has an enormous range while delivering high performance and low maintenance.
Thanks to an updated down tube, a lower-entry version of the Power45 is now available. The alternate edition of the e-bike maintains all of the original model’s technical specifications. Aureus Drive hopes to cater to women, older individuals, and those using a child seat with its new offering – previously, only the Comfort45 model utilised a low-entry frame.
The new model is assembled completely in Lucerne, Switzerland.
