MADISON, Wis. (BRAIN) — Saris is now working with Urban Arrow, the Dutch e-cargo bike brand, and the e-bike motor supplier Bosch to build and distribute commercial e-cargo bikes to the public sector in North America. Gazelle Bikes remains Urban Arrow's North American distributor of consumer e-cargo bikes.
Saris has been conducting a pilot project in its home city of Madison. The pilot rotated a prototype e-cargo bike through city departments including Fleet Services, Public Works, Parks, Libraries, Transportation, and Streets.
"These bikes are smaller, more nimble and can be parked and operated in more places than a typical city vehicle," said Madison's pedestrian bicycle administrator, Renee Callaway.
A second pilot is about to begin in Portland, Oregon.
"Cities are at the center of a growing societal awareness of the long-term costs of our fossil fuel dependence and resulting carbon emissions on the planet and they are uniquely positioned to provide leadership to address climate change. Local governments and universities are making commitments to lower and offset their own emissions and reduce their carbon footprint, and we want to give them a best-in-class solution designed with global leaders Urban Arrow and Bosch," said Mike Basarich, the director of Saris Infrastructure.
Known in the bike industry for its racks and stationary trainers, Saris has been a manufacturer of bike infrastructure products and has decades of public sector experience.
"We have great confidence in this unique partnership and are looking forward to seeing the innovative solutions that Saris is developing on top of Urban Arrow's tried and tested cycling platform," said Urban Arrow's co-founder, Jorrit Kreek.
"The collective experience and collaboration between Bosch and Saris will no doubt have a big impact on the e-cargo movement," said Claudia Wasko, the general manager of Bosch eBike Systems Americas.
The League of American Bicyclists is hosting a webinar for public sector leaders and employees interested in adding e-cargo bikes to their fleets. The webinar is on Nov. 24, titled "On Your Left!: The transformative power of eCargo bikes in your community's vehicle fleet."
To register for the webinar, visit attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5330126017581642763. More information on the e-cargo pilots is available at sarisinfrastructure.com.
