Cargo e-bikes

A revolution in transportation

A few months back, I wrote about the idea of literally running errands and the concept of the 15-minute city. I've also professed my love for e-bikes.

So I thought it'd be fun to dive deeper into this as I see it as a topic that really brings together several of the things that I love writing about on this platform. It's really the convergence of tech, sustainability, and productivity. We’re talking about new high-tech forms of micromobility that are better for the environment and will likely save you from traffic jams while doubling as exercise.

Specifically, I wanted to examine a few products that have been announced in the past few months that seem to be riding this wave of momentum. I'm talking about cargo e-bikes.

More than a bike, not quite a car

Image Courtesy of Gear Junkie

There is a growing push for companies to release vehicles that fill the void between bicycles and compact cars. Whether those cars are powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE) or an electric motor is mostly irrelevant. Sure, EVs are great, but they are still large automobiles that are overkill for a vast majority of the trips made by the average person.

Yes, whether you realize it or not, the bulk of your daily car rides happen over a distance of fewer than 3 miles. That is the perfect distance to cover on an e-bike! And yes, there are certainly outliers. Some people have long daily commutes that can't be served by public transportation or a bike. In that instance, an electric car is probably your best bet, but also try to carpool if you can!

I've been pleasantly surprised by a slew of new releases (and product updates) that offer people an alternative to the standard bicycle or the standard car. These machines are designed to give you nearly all of the functionality that you've become accustomed to in your car, but in a small form factor that is better for the environment, your wallet, and frankly just more fun to drive.

New cargo e-bikes

Image Courtesy of Aventon

Let's take a look at one such release from the California-based e-bike company Aventon. Their newly announced Abound e-cargo bike is a compelling package to replace a majority of your car trips around town. At just over $2,000, you'll be able to get around town to run your daily errands. Attach a child seat (or two) to the rack to pick up your kid(s). Fill up a front basket or panniers with groceries for the week. Or just take a joy ride around your neighborhood with your dog while not breaking a sweat thanks to the up to 20 mph pedal assist.

And if you're balking at the idea of spending that much money on a bicycle, can I introduce you to the even more affordable Lectric XPedition? This cargo bike comes in at just $1,399 and gives you many of the same features offered by the Abound (but not quite as good looking in my opinion). Lectric has figured out a way to deliver quality electric bikes directly to consumers without cutting (too many) corners. Your bike will show up fully assembled at your door. All you have to do is outfit it with some accessories and jump on to tackle all of your daily errands in a more sustainable way.

Photo Courtesy of Lectric

And even if you think that $1,399 is pricey for a bike, think of it in terms of replacing a car. $1,399 for a car would be an absolute steal, right? You'd probably guess (correctly) that there was something wrong with a car it if it was being sold for that little. With a looming recession and financial instability on plenty of people's minds, an affordable electric cargo bike could make a lot of sense for a lot of people.

Conclusion

No, you don't have to get rid of your car tomorrow if you don't want to. But is it possible to envision a future where a majority of your trips are taken via e-bike? Even if you don't live within a city center, this seems plausible with the micromobility vehicles I've mentioned here.

Save your car for when you actually need it! I can speak from experience as a dad of both a child and a dog. When you start lugging other members of your family around, we often make the car our default mode of transport (at least in the United States). It's comfortable and relatively safe. We have our child's car seat setup in there. I even have a little dog seat belt so my pooch doesn't move around too much to get car sick.

But there are now innovative and affordable ways to get this same comfort and reliability through an e-bike. The models I've mentioned here are just a small fraction of the options that are out there. And it's an easy prediction to say this category will explode in the coming years.

Since I'm always looking for new iterations on the standard way of operating, I'm convinced that these e-cargo bikes are going to change the way that millions of people get around on a daily basis. And I'm really excited to see what new innovations are on the way.

Is anyone else out there eager to trade in some car miles to jump on a new electric cargo bike?

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Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!

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