Spin adds e-cargo bikes to its logistics fleet in the UK for more efficient and sustainable operations

Spin, the micromobility unit of Ford Motor Company, has today reaffirmed its commitment to become carbon negative by 2025 by investing in two new e-cargo bike trials in Essex, UK. In Colchester, working with a new local community-based initiative – the Colchester E-Cargo Bike Delivery Project – Spin is trialling an e-cargo bike delivery service to replace and recharge drained e-scooter batteries. In Chelmsford, Spin is kicking off a trial of the UK’s first custom-made, ultra-lightweight vehicle for e-scooter operators, the EAV 2Charge, which Spin co-designed with EAV Transport Solutions to provide greener logistics for e-scooter distribution and battery exchanges.

“Combating climate change is the defining challenge of our time and through our network of partners, including like-minded UK innovators and local businesses, we aim to transform how we operate the logistics side of our business. E-cargo bikes have the potential to deliver e-scooters faster, cut congestion and improve road safety in urban areas when compared to vans. That’s why we have integrated e-cargo bikes into our daily operations when it comes to replacing batteries and moving around e-scooters to meet local demand as it fluctuates throughout the day,” comments Steve Pyer, UK Country Manager at Spin.

A recent study* in London showed that cargo bikes deliver about 60% faster than vans in urban areas while they also delivered more parcels per hour compared to delivering by vans. By removing vans from the roads, road safety is also expected to improve as vans and heavy goods vehicles were involved in more than 30% of fatal collisions between 2015 and 2017.

Colchester E-Cargo Bike Delivery Service
Launched earlier this year during lockdown, Colchester E-Cargo Bike Delivery service supports a range of local independent businesses, and now Spin, with a zero-emission delivery service utilising e-cargo bikes.

Through the initial three-month trial Colchester E-Cargo Bike Delivery Project founder Lee Pugh and his team will replace approximately 20-30 low charged batteries a day across Colchester and take them to be charged at various points across the town, while they are running deliveries for other customers with four e-cargo bikes. With this trial, Spin aims to reduce the use of its vans on the road to help mitigate congestion in the local area.

They will also act as Spin’s on-street ambassadors, a new initiative by Spin to inform the public and riders about the scheme. Members of the public are encouraged to ask questions about the Spin trial and the team will also report any anti-social behaviour and re-park or re-distribute e-scooters to minimise complaints.

“We are proud to support like-minded businesses such as Spin, who also want to tackle carbon emissions and create a greener transport system in Essex,” commented Lee Pugh, founder of the E-Cargo Bike Delivery Project. “We’re delighted to be able to contribute towards achieving cleaner air in the town and help educate the local community on why e-scooters need to be part of our future transport system. And on top of that, it keeps us in great shape as each bike weighs about 250 kg when loaded with packages and batteries so it’s a real workout to pedal around.”

EAV 2CHARGE: The first electric ultra-lightweight commercial vehicle
In Chelmsford, Essex, Spin will be deploying the EAV 2Charge e-cargo bike to help ease traffic and support cleaner air. This ultra-lightweight, emissions-free vehicle was co-designed with Spin to carry spare batteries, tools, replacement parts and hold up to three e-scooters as the operations team pedals them around to meet changing demand across Chelmsford. It is the first custom-made vehicle for an e-scooter operator to be trialled in the UK.

Spin, a carbon neutral company
Earlier this month, Spin announced that it is a carbon neutral company and a signatory of the Climate Pledge, joining more than 100 other companies committed to climate action and decarbonising the global economy. As a part of the Climate Pledge, Spin committed to measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis, as well as implementing decarbonisation strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations. Spin is the first micromobility company to share its detailed greenhouse gas accounting with the public.

In the UK, Spin is already using 100% renewable energy in its warehouses. Additionally, it is in the process of electrifying its operations vehicles by introducing full-sized electric vans in all its UK locations to complement the e-cargo bike initiatives and enable more sustainable and efficient operations. Spin is meeting continuous milestones on its sustainability journey to become carbon negative by 2025. The two new e-cargo bike initiatives support this goal by bringing greener logistics solutions to Essex, starting in Colchester and Chelmsford.