The United States Postal Service (USPS) is currently testing a means of delivering mail and packages using electric cargo bikes in Florida. These American-made vehicles can carry up to 180 kg of goods.
According to the Electrek website, these specially designed heavy-duty e-bikes are made in the United States by Montana-based Coaster Cycles. They are built on a platform that can be easily modified to suit many commercial applications. This particular electric cargo tricycle has a very large rear cargo box of over 2,000 liters, which can hold up to 181 kg of cargo. Mirrors help the rider to see over the back of the cargo box, and a rearview camera also makes handling the bike easier. Finally, thanks to its hydraulic disc brake system, it can stop quickly and safely.
The move comes as the USPS has been under fire in recent months, especially after announcing last year that it would be renewing much of its fleet via a 10-year order for 165,000 Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs). Produced by Oshkosh Defense, 20% of the first 50,000 vehicles delivered will be fully electric, while the rest are expected to be fuel-efficient.
In a separate initiative, the URB-E start-upis addressing the congestion caused by delivery vans in major US cities by providing cargo bikes to companies so that drivers can make deliveries faster and pollution-free. It is currently being trialed in New York and Los Angeles.
