Ich entlaste Städte 2
Shaping future urban transport
- In the "Ich entlaste Städte 2" (“I relieve cities”) project, the use of e-cargo bikes, heavy-duty bicycles, light electric vehicles (LEVs) and bicycle trailers is being tested in the trade, retail and service sectors.
- The results of the project, along with the strategies developed for transitioning to a new form of commercial transport, should serve as an inspiration for other companies to follow suit.
Testing as a company across Germany
As part of long-term tests, "Ich entlaste Städte 2" is investigating how commercial combustion vehicle fleets can be sustainably converted to emission-free vehicle concepts in the long term. To this end, approximately 30 companies from the trades, retail and service sectors across Germany will be given the opportunity to test a fleet of high-quality vehicles for a period of one year..
Companies are informed and assisted in their efforts to replace their conventional commercial vehicles with sustainable mobility options. The experience and findings are intended to serve as a blueprint for their respective industries and motivate as many other companies as possible to follow suit, so that change in urban traffic and climate protection can be further advanced.
Forty five test vehicles are available for this purpose, including
- classic electric cargo bicycles (e.g. Long John design)
- four-wheeled heavy-duty cargo bicycle with cabin
- electrically assisted bicycle trailer
- light e-utility vehicle (L2e, L7e; mostly max. 45 km/h).
As part of the consultation, the companies are analysed in terms of their transport requirements, their existing fleet and company processes. The 12-month period allows for individual customisation and continuous improvement of the deployment concepts with the ultimate goal of using cargo bikes and LEVs in the most ecologically and economically sensible and socially acceptable way possible. The fleet consulting concept also includes strategies for an efficient and successful transition to small electric vehicles at the end of the project.
Comprehensively supported and scientifically sound
With the help of the findings generated in the project and the strategies developed for switching company mobility, other companies should be encouraged to follow suit. In this way, the project, which is funded within the framework of the German National Climate Initiative (NKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), can make a contribution to the mobility transition in commercial transport. In addition to the companies using the vehicles, the project also supports the interests of municipal administrations and service providers offering cargo bike maintenance.
The evaluation of the transport, economic, ecological and social effects of the use of cargo bikes and LEVs is based on data collected using various quantitative and qualitative survey methods in collaboration with the participating companies. DLR's large-scale facility MovingLab is used for this purpose.
Given that the professionalisation of cargo bike maintenance and the guarantee of reliable services are seen as essential for the further expansion of commercially used cargo bikes, the project will also examine maintenance costs more closely and produce a guide for the cargo bike service partner business model.
As part of the supporting public relations work, a so-called 'communication toolbox’ that offers information and recommendations for the successful commercial use of LEVs and cargo bikes will be developed.
The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2025, and interim results and handouts will be published during the course of the project, for example on the project website lastenradtest.de.
Interested parties from associations, administration, politics, the media or the bicycle industry are welcome to subscribe to our e-mailing list in order to be informed about results, handouts or events relating to the project.
Information from the predecessor "Ich entlaste Städte"
