It is a good time to buy an electric cargo bike.
Not only are there plenty of great, modestly priced models just being released by a variety of really cool companies, but there are also a growing number of states offering incentives to curious buyers that could help drive the cost down even further.
It feels like industry and government have simultaneously realized the enormous potential of electric cargo bikes to replace car travel and improve the environment, and honestly, it’s about time.
The superpower of electric cargo bikes to save the planet and the community is widely known. they have been shown reduce dependence on the car, save people money, reduce carbon emissionsand speed up delivery times for companies. That probably explains why they are so popular, sell at a faster rate than traditional bicycles and even other electrified models.
The superpower of electric cargo bikes to save the planet and the community is widely known
That is also the reason why every company under the sun is trying their best to launch new electric cargo bikes. In the last month alone, we’ve seen new models introduced by legacy bike manufacturers, like Trek and Specialized, as well as newer direct-to-consumer brands like Aventon, Rad Power Bikes, and Lectric.
As more brands accumulate in the space, the effects on pricing and the aftermarket increase. Bikes are getting cheaper, more used bikes are being sold, and generally electric cargo bikes are more widely available and getting more exposure, which in turn has positive implications for infrastructure and the overall reduction in car travel. .
Previously, cargo bikes only accounted for a small portion of the used bike market, according to Puneeth Meruva, a senior associate at Trucks VC and author of the really cool Steering wheel Newsletter That’s all about the aftermarket electric bikes. (Seriously, that’s a great newsletter. You should register for it..)
Consider this snapshot from January 2022, in which cargo bikes made up just 2.77 percent of used e-bikes posted on Craigslist that month. It’s not a huge amount, but it predates the flurry of activity we’ve seen in recent months, with newer, less expensive models hitting the road.
According to Meruva, bike manufacturers are realizing several highlights about electric cargo bikes; in particular, they are used much more than other types of electric bikes. Used cargo bikes clock an average mileage of 766.5 miles, nearly double that of electric commuter, sport or performance bikes, Meruva found.
Another interesting point worth noting is that this surge of interest in electric cargo bikes is not being led by legacy bike companies, but by direct-to-consumer brands, who, from the start, have crafted a marketing strategy. marketing aimed at non-cyclists and seeks to convert them to the world of two wheels with a wide range of utility and cargo models.
“When you look at DTC brands, like Rad Power or Aventon and a few others, their utility-focused bikes have always done very well traditionally because those brands started out selling to people who had never ridden a bike before,” Meruva told me. . “Whereas Specialized or Trek, they’re selling electric bikes to people who were already riding road bikes in their spandex.”
Legacy bike manufacturers have struggled most with the question of how much to emphasize the potential to replace car travel. It’s never been a core message for most of those companies, and it makes sense that they won’t embrace it as quickly as the DTC brands. It’s confrontational, especially when politicians and the media wring their hands over a “war against cars” — as if the cars had not been make war on cyclists and pedestrians during previous decades.
“Those brands started selling to people who had never ridden a bike before”
Of course, it helps that electrification and carrying a lot of heavy cargo are a match made in heaven. If you’ve ever tried hauling a couple kids or a couple hundred dollars worth of groceries on a non-electric cargo bike, it’s not easy. But throw in a battery and a decent rear hub motor, and those errands become so simple, so easy, you’ll wonder why you ever used a car in the first place.
“When you think about the people who are actually thinking about riding a bike for its utility, and not just because it’s fun. You need these kinds of features,” Meruva said. “And I think it’s about time. Honestly, I’m a little surprised that it has taken so many of these companies this long to release cargo bikes, but I’m very excited about it.”
