January 31, 2023 - (Amsterdam, NED) Fully Charged LIVE – the world’s no.1 clean energy & electric vehicle show – is one of the fastest growing exhibitions globally with 6 shows scheduled in 2023, including Australia, Canada, Europe, the UK and the US.
Inspired by the YouTube sensation, the Fully Charged SHOW, Fully Charged LIVE is a ‘festival of electrification’ with decarbonisation at its heart. Events feature an array of relevant visitor attractions including the ‘Home Energy Advice Team’, ‘Electric Launchpad’ and ‘Watt Drive?’
New for the European Edition in 2023, Fully Charged LIVE and the International Cargo Bike Festival (ICBF) are delighted to announce a partnership that will see the world’s foremost cargo bike expo line up alongside November’s Amsterdam show. The ICBF, which has been running since 2012, is known as the event where the cargo bike world gathers to explore the latest trends in family cycling, pedal-powered logistics and much more.
Taking place in a freestanding area alongside Fully Charged LIVE, the ICBF will host around 70 exhibitors showcasing two, three and four-wheeler cargo bikes for personal use as well as for organisations, plus a test track on which to take them for a spin. In addition, there will be a whole host of inspiring and informative talks and sessions featuring speakers from across the world; both on the main Fully Charged LIVE stages and on a special International Cargo Bike Festival mini-stage.
As one of the world’s foremost cycling cities, Amsterdam is a city where the cargo bike is already a common sight. Any visitor to Amsterdam will have seen them in droves, with parents shuttling young children to schools, parks and sports facilities. Cargo bikes are also commonly used to deliver all manner of different products and services – from grocery deliveries to plumbers to healthcare and everything in-between. All using the city’s world class cycling infrastructure to get from A to B.
Although cargo bikes have been a fixture in Amsterdam – and more widely in the Netherlands – for around a century, it’s fair to say that even here they’ve undergone something of a renaissance in the last decade. That’s the case in many of the places you might expect – places like the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium – but it’s also part of a wider trend that’s happening across Europe in places like Germany, France, the UK and further afield. The cargo bike is also increasingly popping up across the world; indeed, in recent years the ICBF has welcomed participants from every (inhabited) continent.
And yet there is much untapped potential in the industry. Studies show 50% of urban deliveries could be carried out by cargo bike. This platform at the RAI allows both organisers the opportunity to welcome a burgeoning cargo bike industry to show its state-of-the-art wares alongside the electric vehicles and home energy products visitors to Fully Charged LIVE are used to. And who knows, a trial-run on the ICBF test track might inspire even the most committed automotive fanatic to ‘dump the pump’ and switch to pedal power. The International Cargo Bike Festival at Fully Charged LIVE Europe takes place at RAI Amsterdam (24th, 25th and 26th November 2023).
Jos Sluijsmans, Director & Founder of the ICBF, said: “We are thrilled to be working with the team at Fully Charged LIVE. We’re passionate about cargo bikes and working with them allows us to build on our success so far; scaling up our reach and impact. There’s so much enthusiasm, knowledge and innovation in the cargo bike industry and we want to put that in the spotlight.”
Maarten Pompen, Event Director, Fully Charged LIVE Europe, said: “The Fully Charged SHOW is about much more than just electric cars. We share the same goals as the International Cargo Bike Festival and this partnership further demonstrates our commitment to encourage individuals and institutions to #StopBurningStuff. We’re hyped to work together with the ICBF team to cooperate on creating the most inspiring event we can. We can’t wait to welcome everyone in November and know this partnership will ensure that the second edition of Fully Charged LIVE Europe is even bigger and better than the previous edition.”
Tom Parr, ICBF Co-organiser, said: “We’ve dubbed the 2020s the ‘#DecadeoftheCargoBike’, and we’re confident that by working with Fully Charged LIVE, we can do our bit to ensure that by 2030, the cargo bike has truly reached the mainstream. As we strive towards climate and social justice, the cargo bike has a crucial role to play; this partnership allows us to spread this message even wider.”
Read more about ICBF here – and Full Charged LIVE Europe here.
