November 20, 2021 - A Colorado-based solar e-bike pilot program run by We-Cycle and SkyHook Solar is inspiring more people to choose bikes over cars in the fight against climate change reports The Better Bike Share Partnership.
We-Cycle, launched in 2013 as the first bike share system in a North American mountain town, serves Aspen and Basalt located in the Roaring Fork Valley.
In partnership with Carbondale-based SkyHook Solar, it launched two off-the-grid, solar-powered charging stations for electric bicycles.
“For years, the [Roaring Fork] Valley has demonstrated itself to be a pioneer when it comes to transportation and renewable energy,” says Mirte Mallory, co-founder and executive director of We-Cycle.
“Both operationally and environmentally, solar-powered stations are the most cost-effective, efficient and sustainable choice,” states Mallory.
According to Daniel Delano, president and CEO of SkyHook Solar, the goal from day one was to design and engineer a solar station that was attractive, something that would be welcome on both city streets or a trailhead in the backcountry.
“This idea was on our radar from the beginning as we anticipated the transition to e-bikes in the bike share industry,” says Delano. “E-bikes just seem to make sense for bike share programs.”
Solar charging means that bike share can remain a zero-emissions transportation option in the face of a growing trend towards electrification.
Read the full article here and H/T to Call2Recycle that alerted us to this great initiative.
