On the electric mobility-focused podcast, the LEVA-EU member’s CEO and co-founder, Patrick Bion, discussed Minimal’s collaboration with Royal Mail, how it reduces delivery costs for companies, and what’s next for the brand.
The episode delves into Bion’s work experience at Tesla and Arrival, and why Minimal started its innovation with the Pedal 4 e-cargo bike.
Bion explains key successes of the Pedal 4, such as its ability to reduce delivery costs, and its collaboration with UK delivery provider Royal Mail, as its first e-cargo bike provider. He also shares ambitions of decreasing its price by up to €3,500.
The episode also delves into Minimal’s microfactory model and its cutting-edge FleetOS technology, which provides operators with key insight into the health of their vehicles, maintenance, payload, drivers, as well as fleet efficiency.
What’s next for Minimal is also revealed, such as the upcoming Pedal 2 and Micro 4 models, and plans to expand into Europe and the USA.
Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth visits Minimal
Recently, Minimal welcomed London’s Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth to its site. Howard Dawber OBE operates London’s growth plan, which highlights clean technology and robots as key growth areas that are central to Minimal’s expertise.
He explored the company’s vehicles and production line, and discussed with staff about broadening logistics jobs out to London citizens who don’t have a driving licence, and the potential data-connected fleets can bring to London’s Logistics Plan.
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.”
The LEVA-EU member’s Co-Founder and CEO, Patrick Bion, explains how its compact urban delivery vehicles are a new category of software-enabled light electric vehicles designed to improve delivery efficiency for businesses, while handling the constraints of dense urban areas.
Over the past decade cities have been redesigning infrastructure to facilitate rising demand in modern mobility modes such as bicycles and scooters. However, there has not been as much change in how goods move through cities, with delivery volumes increasing (parcels, food, grocery and retail deliveries).
It has been noted that delivery vans still dominate this sector, and even with some companies electrifying their vans, there remains an issue of vehicles being too large for their purpose for delivering in dense cities.
In the Micromobility Podcast, Minimal’s Co-Founder and CEO, Patrick Bion, is interviewed by Prabin Joel Jones about how the brand is setting out to solve this issue with its new generation of right-sized urban commercial vehicles.
The background of Minimal’s leader and his goal of improving urban logistics
In 2012, when electric vehicles were still in their early adoption phase, Bion worked on the design team at Tesla. Later, he worked on commercial electric vehicles at Arrival, with customers including Amazon and UPS. This work experience moulded the thesis behind Minimal.
For urban logistics, although the electrification of vans is important, there are issues regarding space that need to be solved. For example, a diesel van and an electric van often occupy the same physical space in city traffic, require similar infrastructure, and, with their size, may be too big for some delivery tasks.
The traditional van tends to travel around cities at extremely low speeds, and is often large, expensive, can be difficult to park and manoeuvre, and might carry less than its full capacity as it makes short delivery drop-offs in congested areas.
Minimal believes that there needs to be a wider range of vehicle types for the future of city delivery, not only vans and cargo bikes, but smaller, software-enabled vehicles that are designed to handle the constraints of dense urban areas more efficiently.
Bion describes Minimal’s mission as “helping businesses move more with less”.
Minimal’s Pedal Four solution
This model is a four-wheeled commercial vehicle with pedal assistance, with its positioning described as between a cargo bike and a van, innovated to optimise urban delivery.
It offers the following:
Payload capacity of 250-300 kg and 3 m³ of cargo volume
Speed assistance of up to 25 km/h
Meets pedal-assist vehicle requirements, including a 250 watt continuous power rating.
A range of 60 km (which may be lower depending on conditions such as hillier cities or more demanding stop-start conditions).
In terms of battery infrastructure, Pedal Four utilises around 2.8 to 3 kWh of battery capacity, much less in comparison to a traditional electric van estimated to carry a battery of 35 to 55 kWh.
Its batteries are hot swappable and don’t require expensive charging infrastructure as they can be charged from standard mains power.
The vehicle is fully software-enabled to facilitate operation as part of a larger fleet system to support better utilisation, predictive maintenance, fleet management and driver safety.
It tracks data including battery health, payload, braking behaviour, driver usage, tyre pressure, vehicle location and state of charge.
Early data from Minimal UK customers has revealed the cost-effectiveness of this model. From approximately 100,000 km of testing and operation, the Pedal Four delivered 36-40% more drops per hour compared to diesel vans in some London use cases. Minimal claims that in some scenarios this efficiency, combined with vehicle cost, service and maintenance, can save operators costs of up to 60% per parcel.
Minimal’s company capabilities for optimising commercial deliveries
Its Fleet OS software platform simplifies the management of multiple vehicle types in one place, optimising efficient monitoring and strategic decision making for businesses.
The company is vertically integrated, with 90% of its vehicle parts engineered, sourced or designed by the company.
Minimal focuses on high efficiency with a microfactory model, where it aims to build smaller assembly facilities close to the markets it’s serving.
Its first microfactory is in West London, with capacity to make 5,000 vehicles per year. Minimal plans to introduce additional microfactory sites in mainland Europe, and the east coast of the USA, to target New York and Boston.
More information about Minimal’s highly sustainable, efficient offering for the urban logistics sector can be accessed on the Micromobility industries website.
Minimal at Eurobike
Most recently, the company exhibited at the globally renowned Eurobike to demonstrate its offering to the world of sustainable mobility. Jessie Ridler, Minimal’s Engineering Product Manager, has also detailed her experience as a member of the judging panel for the Eurobike Award.
Earlier this month at Micromobility Europe, LEVA-EU member Minimal gave electric-mobility insights specialist Charging Stack an in-depth look at its cutting-edge electric cargo bike solution for urban logistics.
Charging Stack recently published a video of Minimal’s Product Design Engineer, Sean Heaney, talking through the advanced features of the Pedal 4 as a sustainable and efficient replacement for an urban logistics van.
After being introduced to the cargo bike, Charging Stack said the following on its LinkedIn:
“What makes Pedal 4 interesting is how complete it feels as a city logistics vehicle. It is small enough for dense urban routes, practical enough for serious cargo, and digital enough for fleet operators who need visibility.”
Featured Pedal 4 highlights include:
300kg payload
2.5m³ of cargo space
60km range with two swappable batteries
Pedal by wire chainless technology
FleetOS fleet management platform
Key fob system for unlocking and locking vehicle/cargo box
New HMI system
Double front wishbone suspension
A video demonstration of the Pedal 4’s easy-to-use operation can be accessed on Charging Stack’s LinkedIn or YouTube.
The LEVA-EU member gives a glimpse of its current and future offerings for the logistics sector, providing a range of solutions to serve various city densities, distances and delivery types.
The British brand explains that cities are not short of delivery vehicles, but are lacking the correct ones, which can operate for different urban densities, distances and delivery types.
Minimal is working on a range of “right-sized” commercial vehicles, for specific jobs in the city, which are designed to “work together, informed by data, and deployed using next generation fleet management.”
As part of its vehicle offering, Minimal isn’t just innovating a range of interconnected vehicles but also Fleet OS, a system for optimising delivery, which can be used for both Minimal and non-Minimal vehicles.
Pedal 4
Minimal introduces its range with its first product which is already delivering on roads, Pedal 4, a commercial electric cargo bike. It has been innovated for urban logistics needs with its ability to carry up to 300 kg with a cargo hold of 2.5m³ cargo hold, and provides a range of up to 60km.
The vehicle is supported by FleetOS, the company’s next generation fleet management platform, which enables fleet managers to monitor performance in real time. The company’s Fleet-as-a-Service package also handles finance, insurance and maintenance for customers.
Pedal 2
Pedal 2 is a two-wheeled e-cargo bike with pedal assist that has been created to deliver smooth and agile performance in dense and congested urban streets, for scenarios which require fast grocery, medical and food delivery service.
Its production launch is anticipated to be late 2026.
Micro 4
The Micro 4 has been described as a delivery van specifically built for busy urban streets. A zero emission light vehicle that can travel at up to 90 km/h, it promises to be significantly more cost effective than the standard van it is designed to replace.
Its production will launch in 2027.
Micro 2
Micro 2 is summarised as “a different class of vehicle altogether”, designed for delivery operations that require more speed than a bicycle.
It is a lightweight electric cargo moped which can carry a volume of 500L, operate at 45 km/h and promises to quickly manoeuvre through cities.
Microlino, Minimal and Lime will participate in the leading micromobility conference in Berlin from June 2-3, where they will be sharing their perspectives on last-mile delivery, microcars and shared micromobility.
Micromobility Europe is a globally renowned industry event which revolves around the promotion and encouragement of small vehicles that help shift citizens away from car dependence.
The 2026 line-up features a range of stakeholders, including industry professionals, city officials, as well as the following LEVA-EU members who will be speaking at the event:
Firstly on June 2nd, Patrick Bion, Co-Founder and CEO of Minimal will be outlining how micromobility is changing last mile delivery.
Later on June 2nd, Oliver Ouboter, Co-Founder and COO of Microlino will be taking part in a panel discussion about microcars and light utility vehicles, and the challenges of regulating the space between bikes and cars.
On June 3rd, Lime’s Senior Public Affairs Manager, Alice Pleasant, is participating in a panel discussion about improving shared micromobility in London and the broader UK market.
The full programme of the event can be accessed on the Micromobility website.
The prestigious global design accolade highlights the LEVA-EU member’s Minimal Pedal 4 as a smart and powerful sustainable urban logistics solution. The company acknowledges that the recognition is a strong sign that the world is ready for a smarter answer to city logistics.
The Minimal Pedal 4’s design was created in a London micro-factory by the team of Joe Allum, Patrick Bion and Liam Sill, who possess strong automotive and motorsport backgrounds. They set out to innovate a smart city logistics vehicle that travelled quickly through cities, with zero emissions and cheap operating costs.
The company emphasises that urban logistics needs to be decarbonised to improve sustainability, concluding that the answer lies in a smaller, smarter solution than a van, the Minimal Pedal 4.
The award-winning Minimal Pedal 4
Minimal’s light electric vehicle is a purpose-built, pedal assist four-wheeler which has been innovated to transport goods, faster, cheaper and sustainably, offering a functional, minimalist solution for businesses.
In terms of design, the Minimal team directly embedded aesthetics into the vehicle’s functional architecture to where it made the most sense. They reimagined its vehicle geometry by drastically reducing part counts and fastening methods, to ensure a robust and serviceable vehicle.
Visually, the brand describes the Pedal 4 as blending “utilitarian toughness with an approachable, industrial design”. Its exposed, zinc-coated steel frame functions as a practical centrepiece, as it contrasts with sleek, satin-black metal covers.
At the front its rotationally moulded bumper acts as a safe shield which absorbs impacts, and frames circular lighting.
At the rear, its high-capacity cargo box is a curved 3D canvas which enables seamless branding and customisation.
To enable an intuitive, ergonomic user experience, the Pedal 4 boasts a proprietary keyless entry system, which can be managed remotely as it works with Minimal’s purpose-built FleetOS backend. The system provides operators with live GPS tracking, OTA updates, as well as deep service analytics.
More information about the Pedal 4 can be accessed on Minimal’s website.
The LEVA-EU member’s Co-Founder has explained how the company is building a data-driven system to enable it to create highly efficient, complex products as quickly as possible.
From an R&D centre in London with a team of 15 people, the electric logistics vehicle designer and manufacturer developed a cargo bike and fleet management software over a period of 1.5 years, which is ready for global scaling at a highly competitive price.
The company has also rolled out a highly efficient system of technology, software, data, and simulation, enabling two team members to complete tasks that would have required twenty people a year ago.
Recently, its Co-Founder Joe Allum reported the extension of Minimal’s capabilities, with the company’s achievement of being able to quickly develop a new reconfigurable cage/pickup variant, when requested.
He stated that in record time, within two weeks, they had successfully designed, engineered, sourced, and built a reconfigurable cage/pickup variant while also coordinating several releases, new product variants, and vehicle platforms, as well as factory and supply chain simulations.
Designing a data-driven system for improving development, sourcing and manufacturing time
Allum has also expressed the significance of the cutting-edge system Minimal is building that will enable it to improve on its previous work:
“But this isn’t just about building great products (although we are better, more capable, and at a lower cost than anyone else). What matters more is how we’re doing it. We’re building the system that allows us to build anything, faster and better than ever before. Fully data driven.”
Allum explains that the system is innovating core building blocks and guidelines that will significantly reduce development, sourcing, and manufacturing time.
Looking ahead, it is expected to lay the foundations for “factories of the future”, with the enabling of technologies to be faster and more flexible, and supply chain strategies to “enable the best price anywhere in the world”.
LEVA-EU member Minimal has been announced as facilitating food delivery company GLYDE to transport more sustainably with next-generation cargo bikes.
GLYDE’s CEO & Co-Founder, Daniel Leal, said that he was proud of the new partnership with Minimal, announcing that the next-generation cargo bikes will strengthen the company’s ability to scale while it maintains the high-quality delivery that its customers expect.
He concludes that “Great food deserves a great delivery.”
