Leeds to offer 32 new e-cargo bikes for deliveries

Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Bradford Council have secured funding from the Department for Transport and Energy Saving Trust’s grant to provide 32 new electric-cargo bikes to the value of £160,000.

The Energy Saving Trust’s £2 million fund aims to help businesses and local authorities purchase cargo bikes in an effort to combat congestion and pollution in city centres.

Leeds City Council and Bradford Council adopted the e-cargo bike loan scheme in March 2021 and has since provided many local businesses the opportunity to trial the new delivery method. E-cargo bikes can deliver financial savings of up to 90 per cent compared to the cost of a running an equivalent commercial vehicle with no fuel tax, MOT, fuel and parking costs.

The trial scheme allows organisations to experience how e-cargo bikes could provide a cost-effective alternative to cars and vans for heavy, bulky local deliveries. Each bike allows for up to 40 miles assisted cycling and has a load capacity of up to 100kg or 900 litres.

Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, said: “This offer to businesses to trial e-cargo bikes for local delivery solutions could be revolutionary. In March I was fortunate enough to try riding a e-cargo trike. I found it to be easy to do in everyday clothes and, despite a heavy load in the bike box, a really easy ride. The additional 32 e-cargo bikes funded by the grant scheme will allow more businesses in West Yorkshire to ‘try-before-you-buy’.

“With so many employees continuing to work from home following the pandemic, investing in a e-cargo bike could be far more cost-effective for businesses who operate in and around the city centre without needing to pay for vehicle related costs and benefit from very little maintenance costs. Its projects like this that will help us achieve our ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2030 as well as our vision of Leeds being a city where you don’t need a car.”