Oxfordshire startup in conjunction with DPDgroup has created an electronic bicycle bike from biocomposite materials based on hemp
The front panel of the EAV Project 1 is made of a biocomposite material reinforced with hemp fibers, glued together with a resin based on cashew nuts. E-Cargobike 1 meter wide and 2 meter long weighs only about 75 kg. A 250 watt electric motor is mounted on a cargo bike. Despite the fact that the product is a four-wheel design, the EAV Project 1 is classified as an electric bicycle, and not a light electric vehicle. It is designed in such a way that in a huge range of electronic cables there are opportunities to perform the functions of a Sprinter van (“Sprinter van”), i.e. It has various indicators and other accessories specific to cars, however it can legally move along bicycle paths. The chassis of the product has a built-in suspension, which allows to significantly reduce the weight when equipping a cargo bike with suspension forks.
DPDgroup, an international parcel delivery group, helped develop a four-wheeled electronic E-Cargobike to Oxfordshire Electric Assisted Vehicles (EAV). News on the testing of an electronic truck EAV Project 1 in April 2019 was made public at the eBike summit in Oxford. Several test models of the E-Cargobik are currently being tested to identify possible design flaws and operating features of electronic cargo bikes. The business plan for the above tests is designed so that the first production models of the product entered the market in June 2019. Test measurements and identification of various performance characteristics are carried out on the basis of the fully electric warehouse DPDgroup, which opened in London at the end of 2018.
According to DPDgroup CEO Dwayne McDonald (Dwain McDonald) "The main purpose of creating an electric-powered truck bike is to neutralize the carbon footprint in the final stages of delivering packages to customers, as well as developing smart, clean, and sustainable technologies used by delivery services."
EAM Technical Director Adam Barmby (Adam Barmby) in particular notes that “the chassis design is modular, so based on customer requirements, we can expand it or shorten it, make E-Cargobike universal or specialized. A version of an electronic cargo bike is being developed, providing for the full protection of the operator controlling it from weathering or year-round use in virtually any climatic conditions, as well as for various types of terrain (rural areas, cities, etc.).
The project for the creation of the electric truck EAV Project 1 by the company Electric Assisted Vehicles is self-financing, however, the EAV management is looking for investors to facilitate the introduction of an industrial design product to the market, for which it submitted an application for obtaining tax benefits provided by the UK government for such startups. According to Nigel Gordon-Stewart, an employee of the company, “We contacted Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to obtain appropriate guarantees from the government that will help make EAV an extremely attractive investment project.” .
Characteristics of an electronic cargo bike created by Electric Assisted Vehicles
The front panel of the EAV Project 1 is made of a biocomposite material reinforced with hemp fibers, glued together with a resin based on cashew nuts. E-Cargobike 1 meter wide and 2 meter long weighs only about 75 kg. A 250 watt electric motor is mounted on a cargo bike. Despite the fact that the product is a four-wheel design, the EAV Project 1 is classified as an electric bicycle, and not a light electric vehicle. It is designed in such a way that in a huge range of electronic cables there are opportunities to perform the functions of a Sprinter van (“Sprinter van”), i.e. It has various indicators and other accessories specific to cars, however it can legally move along bicycle paths. The chassis of the product has a built-in suspension, which allows to significantly reduce the weight when equipping a cargo bike with suspension forks.
Commentary of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"
DPDgroup is an international parcel delivery service weighing up to 30 kg, delivering 5.2 million parcels worldwide every day.
Electric Assisted Vehicles is a subsidiary of BAMD Composites, based in Upper Heyford, near Oxford. Manufactures composite parts for the aviation sector and racing cars such as the Aston Martin.