Renewable Revolution

Nov 29, 2018, 04:00am

Tern Launches Corporate Electric Cargobike Program

Carlton Reid Contributor Transportation

I am Press Gazette's Transport Journalist of the Year, 2018
 

The Willard Street Inn, Burlington, Vermont, rents out Tern GSD bikes to enable couples to enjoy a nearby scenic bike path – the bikes can be loaded with a picnic featuring a selection of locally-sourced delicacies.TERN

Bicycle maker Tern has launched a “bikes-for-business” program to promote its GSD – “get stuff done” – electric cargobike. The Taiwanese company with international staffers and global distribution is aiming to pique the interest of hotels and short-haul delivery firms. The program – trialled with a number of small businesses already using GSDs – includes cloud-based fleet management as well as customization options, including corporate color schemes and branded fascias. The corporate program will be delivered through local bike shops.

“E-cargobikes are a great alternative for some 20 percent of all delivery vans currently operating in large cities,” concluded a recent Dutch study. The 121-page City Logistic: Light and Electric report argues that cities are being strangled by trucks and vans – and one of the solutions is for businesses to switch at least some of their “last-mile deliveries” to electric cargobikes. Most of these are long and somewhat cumbersome. Not so for Tern’s GSD – this is billed as a “compact” e-cargobike, yet it can still haul 378-lbs, no sweat.

The $4,000 small-wheel GSD is a one-size-fits-all machine, and unlike a motor vehicle it doesn’t require insurance or a license to operate.


“More businesses on bikes is something that is essential for the health of our planet,” said Tern CEO Josh Hon.

Corporate-branded GSD on trial with Deliveroo.TERN

“But it’s also great for the people working in those businesses who’ll get more fresh air and exercise. And it’ll be a really good thing for dealers who can start to build a recurring revenue model for their shops.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/11/29/tern-launches-corporate-electric-cargobike-program/#6e7198dc18f1

Quote from: agelbert on November 29, 2018, 08:51:30 pm

Vermonters like bikes. Yes, the folks in Burlington probably like e-bikes too. BUT, Vermont has real wet, slushy, messy winters. Winters here last a long, long time. Even with global warming the rainy messy mix we get makes biking a challenge. I actually did drive a pedal bicycle to a job I had parking cars at the airport (in winter) way back in 1998 for about a month. It sucked. It was slippery as all getout in winter and the cars made life rather difficult. If the young folks go for that, good for them. I'm too old for that. 

A Trike Electric with knobby tires makes things a little better.  This one from Z-electric is only $7K.  I may buy it in the spring.  It has a VIN number and you can license it for road use too.

RE

True. An electric all weather trike would work great here.

Had I been in that thing when the pickup truck that front ended me drove into oncoming traffic last week I'd have been killed.  As it is I'm uninjured.  Electronics batteries and motors are all available but somebody needs to do more than slap the components together to make a solution that works.  Three wheeled electric carts are nothing new.  This one is wrapped in a light plastic shell.  That plastic might shatter in Alaska temperatures.  I'd check into what it is made of before I got one.

For those who think they must drive an 8,000 pound PLUS tank to feel safe, I understand, but that is not, or has ever been, the issue with small economic vehicles. So, it is irrelevant to the subject of e-bikes. Surly's wife was saved by driving in an SUV (Subaru Forester). That does not mean, K-Dog, that these small electric vehicles (The E-Tuk sells in Colorado and is used to taxi tourists around - they also sell them for small businesses like this coffee serving model ) are not selling well AND are part of the Renewable Energy SOLUTION.

November 28th, 2018 by Michael Barnard

SNIPPET:


Geographically, there aren’t a lot of surprises. As this chart of e-bike manufacturing revenue by country shows, China by itself is the biggest manufacturer of e-bikes, followed by the USA and Taiwan. That last comes with a political wrinkle, however. China considers Taiwan to be part of China, while Taiwan considers itself independent. Taiwan, or the Republic of China, lost its UN seat to the People’s Republic of China in 1971, but still maintains official diplomatic relations to 16 countries and informal diplomatic relations with most of them.

Why this is interesting is that the two largest revenue firms for e-bikes globally are both from Taiwan: Giant and Merida. This chart shows the top 15 firms by estimated e-bike revenue.


here are a couple of additional points worth noting about this chart. First, the majority of firms in the e-bike market today are making less than US$100 million specifically from e-bikes. Giant and Merida, at an estimated US$170 million, are more than double the size of the next largest individual competitor. They are well-positioned to continue to dominate. Second, while most companies have a relatively limited number of models across a handful of categories, the number of variants within models is very large, especially for smaller pure-play Chinese manufacturers.


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