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Receiving a package in the mail is always an exciting event. You might even count down the days until getting it. Whether it’s a piece of clothing or a tool for work, it’s tempting to want to receive it and open it right away.
There’s been a revolution when it comes to urban delivery, with the rise of electric cargo bikes according to the Reset website. The shift might pave the way for quicker, more efficient, and most importantly, more environmentally friendly package deliveries.
A Growing Trend
The popularity of e-bikes has been steadily growing. In 2019, 3.4 million e-bikes were sold in Europe, and sales are projected to reach 13.5 million annually by 2030.
What has made them so popular? According to a blog on Packaly, some of the reasons they are popular are that they are affordable and easy to maintain.
And so, it seems obvious then that along with transporting people, e-bikes would also begin to be used to transport things as well. This is where cargo bikes come in. Cargo bikes can be thought of as a bigger and stronger electric vehicle with more carrying power. A cargo bike rider can carry around 25 medium packages in its carrying hold.
In addition, a study by the University of Westminster in London showed that using electric cargo bikes lowered emissions by 90 percent relative to diesel-run vans.
Last-mile Deliveries
As Euronews reports, cargo bikes aren’t built for everything. They cannot carry large loads and they have limited ranges. That is why they are mostly being used for what is referred to as “last-mile deliveries.”
Last-mile deliveries, according to the Reset website, are the short stretch of delivery from the depot to the customer’s home or workplace in urban areas, and in contexts like this, cargo bikes reduce traffic congestion and can make cities safer in the areas they are active.
So now planning is required to encourage the use of these efficient and environmentally friendly delivery bikes by creating the infrastructure — both physical and technological — that will allow the cargo bike delivery industry to thrive.
According to Euronews, this means creating micro-hubs within cities that could be used as mini distribution centers. The Reset website also recommends using digital tools for safer and better routes for delivery bikers.
Either way, it is clear that cities have entered the age of the cargo bike. Now it is time to embrace this efficient and eco-friendly way of delivering packages.
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