July 21, 2021 - Urban mobility specialist Tern is pleased to announce that they are teaming up with Dutch-X to deliver goods to retail customers in New York. Dutch-X, a New York-based delivery service provider, has recently acquired a fleet of Tern electric cargo bikes to help make greener and more efficient deliveries.
Dutch-X makes more than 3 million deliveries per year and has paired Tern’s electric cargo bikes with an existing fleet of Carla Cargo trailers, which carry up to 150 kg (330 lb). This modular solution carries plenty of bulky cargo such as the extra-large grocery containers of their main client, Whole Foods—but is still easy to maneuver in inner-city traffic.
Better for the Environment, Better for Business
“A lot of our customers are asking for logistics solutions that are cleaner, greener, and more sustainable,” said Dutch-X co-founder Marcus Hoed. “For example, about 40% of RFP requirements were related to sustainability. We are really happy to see our customer’s priorities shifting in this direction.”
But Hoed emphasized that just being green is not enough. Any solution also has to make business sense. “Whether it’s initial capital expenditure, deliveries/hour, maintenance/month, or even insurance, electric cargo bikes have proven themselves in a dense city like New York,” stated Hoed.
Delivery cargo bikes and trailers have received special permission from New York City to park in commercial loading zones. This reduces the number of delivery vans double-parking and clogging the city’s notoriously narrow streets.
Cargo bicycles are able to park and unload much closer to the delivery address, saving time searching for parking and shortening the distance a delivery person needs to carry a heavy load to the delivery address. And considering that UPS and FedEx together paid over $32 million in parking fines in 2019, parking fines are a substantial expense.
Safety Matters
While clients pushed for more environmentally-friendly deliveries, safety concerns pushed Dutch-X to upgrade its fleet with Tern cargo bikes equipped with Bosch motors and batteries. “We worked with the New York City Fire Department and they advised us to choose systems that have undergone UL testing and certification,” said Hoed. UL tests to make sure a battery and system are safe from potential hazards like fire, explosion, and electric shocks.
“A lot of bad batteries are coming into the U.S., and we’ve now shifted to using UL-certified batteries exclusively,” stated Hoed. “Manufacturers keep pushing component prices down, and that often means sacrificing quality and safety.”
More Reasons to Choose a Tern Cargo Bike
One Size Fits Most
Tern’s GSD and HSD electric cargo bikes adjust in seconds and without tools to fit riders from 150 to 195 cm (4’11” to 6’5”), ensuring that all employees get a good fitting bicycle. And riders that are comfortable on their bikes will be happier and more productive.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership
“When you’re operating a fleet, the things that matter are the total cost of ownership and uptime,” stated Hoed. “We’ve worked with lower-cost e-bikes before but after factoring in increased service costs, shorter operational lifetime, and increased downtime, a Tern bike ends up saving us money.”
Bosch Support
Bosch specially supplied Tern with a version of the firmware that lowers the Tern bike’s maximum speed to 12 mph to meet New York regulations for commercial cargo bikes. “It’s great to know that we have that level of support from Tern and Bosch. And we love that Bosch follows automotive standards when it comes to spare parts availability. When we need battery replacements three or even five years from now, they’ll be available,” said Hoed.
Easier Storage
Space costs a premium in New York. And when you have a fleet of several hundred vehicles and you need to store them safely indoors in the evening, it’s a definiteissue. Tern’s compact cargo bikes are shorter than a regular bike to begin with, but then you can FlatFold it to one-third of its volume in seconds, or Vertically Park it to drastically reduce its footprint.
Tern Business
Companies looking to add electric cargo bikes to their operations will find several case studies and useful articles on the new Tern Business website. Visit www.bikesforbusiness.com for more.
