E-Cargo bikes in Colchester

An electric cargo bike, often called an eCargo bike, is an electric bike with purpose-built storage.

They come in lots of different shapes and sizes to suit whatever is being transported, from children to shopping to heavy parcels and cargo.

In Colchester, there are a selection of eBikes and eCargo bikes available for you to hire, known as the Colchester eCargo Bike Library.

You can hire bikes on a pay as you go basis or a short-term hire for several weeks at a time. It is just like taking out a library book but for bikes.

E-Cargo bikes have many advantages over cars and vans:

• Active: A healthy way to travel, improving fitness and mental health.
• Low-cost: No fuel or tax bill to pay, and can travel up to 50 miles (80km) on a full battery.
• Versatile: Uses routes that cars and vans cannot, including cycle paths and bus lanes.
• Convenient: Can be parked right on the doorstep for easier loading/unloading.
• Fast: Electric assist helps with speeds up to 15.5mph (25kph) and might make your journey time faster than a car in the city centre.
• Green: Emission and pollution-free transport.

Studies on eCargo bikes

E-Cargo bikes have a much lower annual running cost than a car or van, the Energy Saving Trust calculated that the approximate annual running cost for an eCargo trike is around £342 compared to over £2,000 for a small diesel van.

NimbleFins calculated that the average car costs over £2,300 to run each year. These calculations are based on the cost of fuel, insurance, servicing and vehicle excise duty for each vehicle.

You might think that charging an eCargo bike battery will use a lot of electricity, but Cycle Sprog calculated that it costs about the same as boiling the kettle twice.

A study by The Active Travel Academy at the University of Westminster found that electric cargo bikes deliver about 60% faster than vans in city centres.

The bikes also cut carbon emissions by 90% compared with diesel vans, and by a third compared with electric vans.