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Canada Post just started an initiative to replace their smaller package trucks with electric trikes. Electric cargo bike delivery is VERY feasible, for everythi

Canada Post just started an initiative to replace their smaller package trucks with electric trikes. Electric cargo bike delivery is VERY feasible, for everything but inter-city cargo. Even moving vans - my brother used to work for a bike delivery company, and he was able to borrow an electric cargo trike to help my with my last move. It took two loads instead of the one it would have taken with a van, other than that it was entirely painless. Which is not to say that bikes can handle 100% of the tasks, but they can handle much more than you might think.

PuppyTailWags 4y ago
This will not work as well for eg. a thriving restaurant ecosystem, where whole animal carcasses and multiple pallets of produce need to be delivered. There are entire categories of stuff that cities need to thrive that bikes cannot fulfill. When I was talking delivery, I meant commerce-related delivery.
- kennywinker 4y ago
  And commerce delivery is what the company my brother worked for does. This kind of trike: https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/01/10/rad-power-bikes-launches-commercial-division-and-electric-cargo-trike https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/01/10/rad... can handle about 700lbs. You can add powered trailers if you need more in a single delivery, and since they're cheaper than vans to buy and operate, sending two or taking two trips is an option. For probably 70-90% of commercial logistics within a city these will work fine. For the other 10-30%, yeah - we'll still need some vans and trucks around. Some serious rethinking of our needs and expectations around transportation is absolutely required if we're going to cut this climate emergency off at the pass. Businesses can still run fine if their deliveries come twice a day instead of once.
- fknorangesite 4y ago
  > There are entire categories of stuff that cities need to thrive that bikes cannot fulfill. Okay? So still use the truck for the situations that need it. No one is suggesting just launching them all into the sun. This kind of objection is ridiculous.

PuppyTailWags 4y ago

This will not work as well for eg. a thriving restaurant ecosystem, where whole animal carcasses and multiple pallets of produce need to be delivered. There are entire categories of stuff that cities need to thrive that bikes cannot fulfill. When I was talking delivery, I meant commerce-related delivery.

kennywinker 4y ago
And commerce delivery is what the company my brother worked for does. This kind of trike: https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/01/10/rad-power-bikes-launches-commercial-division-and-electric-cargo-trike https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/01/10/rad... can handle about 700lbs. You can add powered trailers if you need more in a single delivery, and since they're cheaper than vans to buy and operate, sending two or taking two trips is an option. For probably 70-90% of commercial logistics within a city these will work fine. For the other 10-30%, yeah - we'll still need some vans and trucks around. Some serious rethinking of our needs and expectations around transportation is absolutely required if we're going to cut this climate emergency off at the pass. Businesses can still run fine if their deliveries come twice a day instead of once.
fknorangesite 4y ago
> There are entire categories of stuff that cities need to thrive that bikes cannot fulfill. Okay? So still use the truck for the situations that need it. No one is suggesting just launching them all into the sun. This kind of objection is ridiculous.