E-bike sales are rising across Europe as new plans and initiatives are proposed by the EU. The rising popularity of e-bikes is helping the EU achieve net-zero status by maximizing the green credentials of communities through last-mile delivery.
Europe Embraces Green Bike Alternative For Deliveries
Online deliveries have experienced immense growth since the start of the pandemic. Distributors, companies, retailers, and everyone else quickly started to deploy delivery services if they didn’t already have one. The pandemic forced businesses to rethink and innovate delivery services for their goods, and many of them found solutions by using electric bikes or e-bikes.
The pandemic has partly driven e-bike sales and usage to new heights across Europe within the last two years, and this growth is expected to continue at a healthy rate. While car sales across Europe are experiencing single-digit growth, e-bike sales growth is between 30 to 40 percent in most European countries.
The EU has produced a directive to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists as part of its ‘Sustainable transport – new urban mobility framework’ initiative. It is part of its plan to revamp urban infrastructure and achieve its goal of a net-zero continent by the year 2050.
To this end, the EU must take measures to meet its climate and net-zero target by 2050. It has resulted in the implementation of this initiative to encourage EU countries to develop emission-free urban transport systems that are also affordable, accessible, safe, smart, and inclusive.
The initiative’s main purpose is to tackle traffic congestion and transport pollution at the local level, thus helping the EU achieve emission-free transportation and a climate-neutral status. Similarly, the EU also plans to reduce CO2 standards for cans and cars.
The latest goals came into effect during the pandemic in 2020. The results were positive as the average CO2 emissions from registered new passenger cars dropped by 12 percent across Europe in 2020, relative to 2019.
The share of electric vehicles also rose in 2020, tripling from the previous year. All these efforts have witnessed positive feedback and support from citizens and governments of the EU. However, this is the first time the European Commission has proposed a plan prioritizing cycling and walking.
Citizens who want to opt for a healthy lifestyle and those wanting to contribute to green initiatives are also turning to e-bikes. While the plan is highly appreciated and welcomed by everyone, the e-bike industry will likely value it the most.
There is immense growth in the sales and use of e-bikes across the EU for last-mile delivery. As more companies start to opt for e-bikes for such purposes, it will improve their brand image and reputation and provide a far more sustainable means of delivering goods. The lightweight and nimble e-bikes offer incredible efficiency, allowing the industry to rethink what mobility looks like in urban regions and cities, especially in the rapidly growing delivery sector.
While nations, governments, and world leaders continue to explore and discover new ways to reduce net-zero emissions. Light electric vehicles like e-bikes are proving to be a highly sustainable and viable option.
It is actively disrupting and improving the conventionally emissions-positive transportation sector. They are helping improve last-mile delivery in growing sectors, thus allowing European communities to maximize their greener credentials.
