A cool launch for the Turku use case

BSR electric's Finnish project partner Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) leased two e-bikes for Arkea Ltd, a Turku city-owned company providing a wide range of maintenance-, food, - cleaning, - and security services in the city area.
One of the bikes is an electrified city bike, used for work related travel by the office employees stationed at Arkea headquarters. The other vehicle is a sturdier electrified 3-wheeler with some storage space for utilities. The cargo bike, used by Arkea's maintenance workers for practical on-the-job tasks, ranging from garden work to regular real estate maintenance. Both e-bikes are equipped with studded tyres making them suitable for the unpredictable winter conditions of southwestern Finland.

The use case launch took place in November in a sunny and crispy weather. Overall, about 15 open-minded employees joined the e-bike launch, and the comments and experiences gathered from this first contact were very positive and encouraging. The participants were surprised that the e-bikes were easy to use and comfortable to ride, and many contemplated on taking them for a longer ride. Even the cargo bike shall deemed simple to manoeuvre if the rider remembers to consider the wider turning radius. As the leasing contract between TUAS and the leasing provider Järvi Leasing Ltd is valid until the beginning of June 2019, many more employees should take the e-bikes for a longer spin.

The use case will provide the project with valuable information on the suitability of e-bikes for various purposes and travel types. The long leasing period also allows the project to gather information on how e-bikes behave under extreme climatic conditions ranging from snow, slush, ice and sleet to regular spring and summer weather.