London, UK—In 2015, the UK government invested £700,000 (€906,000) in a nationwide rollout of e-bike sharing schemes. In Spring 2016, the winning bidders began implementing the schemes.

　　Short-term e-bike use in city centers, e-bike use on the UK's steepest hills, e-bikes for disabled people, e-bike use by tourists and staff at tourist attractions; these and other ideas were successful initiatives that received funding, and their corresponding schemes are now being rolled out across the UK.

　　The sharing schemes are part of Bikeplus

　　The sustainable transport charity Carplus managed the bidding and funding process, and its website explains its aims: “To gather evidence on how e-bike sharing schemes work best for people, places and routes by supporting a range of schemes in different contexts.”

　　Now, the sharing schemes are also part of Bikeplus, which is for bike-sharing schemes (electric and non-electric) in the UK. Sixteen UK towns and cities currently have bike-sharing schemes in place, with more set to join. Bikeplus aims to collect usage data to help bike-sharing schemes become even more successful.

　　Here are some examples of successful e-bike sharing schemes that have been implemented:

　　WeCycle, Hebden Bridge. 15 e-bikes, including cargo bikes, are available for local residents and businesses to use on some of the UK's steepest hills.

　　Co-Wheels, Bristol. 24 e-bikes are located at two work centers and are available on a self-service basis. Smart card operated bike lockers can be booked via the Co-wheels car club website or app, allowing employees to use them during the working week and residents at weekends and evenings in this major city in the South West.

　　OxonBike, Oxford. Connecting hospitals, university campuses and parks with transport facilities. 16 bikes can be booked via a smartphone app and collected from any of five docking stations.

　　Compass Bikes, several towns and cities in the South East of England. Housing scheme tenants have exclusive access to free use for 12-72 hours. The scheme aims to provide e-bikes to those in the community experiencing poverty to address ‘transport poverty’.

　　Outspoken Delivery, Cambridge and Norwich. This commercial company provides 7 electric-assist cargo bikes as part of the scheme, with 4 available for local businesses to use for deliveries and the remaining 3 available to the public when not in use by the company. Outspoken Delivery works with logistics giants such as Royal Mail and TNT.

　　Journey Matters, Rotherham. Approximately 65 e-bikes are available for hire for periods ranging from 6 weeks to 3 months, suitable for all local routes and designed to increase cycling. Available to local residents, applications can be made via the website or a ‘Hub’ van that tours the area. Initial feedback from a Journey Matters spokesperson suggests the scheme is ‘very popular’.

　　Co-Bikes, Exeter. 23 e-bikes are available for use at the train station, business district and Devon County Council. Membership is tied into the Co-Cars operation, which has partnerships with Nextbike and First Great Western Trains, and club members receive a range of other benefits. The scheme is described as ‘one of the first pay-as-you-go services in the UK’, allowing anyone to hire an e-bike from the docking station using only a credit card for security.

　　PEDALL, New Forest. 4 electric-assist recumbent bikes are available to cater for disabled users in one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations, with routes including miles of scenic traffic-free trails.

　　Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Bikes. 25 bikes are available for tourists and local council employees to use at visitor centers and various locations across the island. Hire is available for full or half days.

　　Plymouth Bike Hire. An existing public hire network of 60 bikes has been supplemented with 20 e-bikes. Brands include Juicy, Kudos and Raleigh. Docking stations are located near popular traffic-free trails and the busy city center of this historic port.

　　University of Brighton, Eastbourne Campus. 10 e-bikes are located at Eastbourne train station and are suitable for the hilly route to the University of Brighton campus. Available to staff and students. A further 10 e-bikes are available for use on campus, with hire periods of 1 or 3 months.

　　The use of e-bikes in the sharing schemes will be monitored and further funding may be provided to more schemes depending on their success.

　　The University of Brighton sharing scheme also provides materials for a research project being undertaken by academics at the university, ‘Smart e-Bikes’. Anne Mandy, Associate Professor at the University of Brighton’s Health Research Centre, said: “University travel plans show that 43% of staff and 21% of students drive to university alone. The sharing scheme aims to reduce solo car journeys.”

　　Initial research findings have shown:

　　• 70% of participants said they would cycle more if e-bikes were available.

　　• A 20% reduction in car mileage amongst the sample group.

　　• 59% reported increased physical activity.

　　• Bikes were most popular amongst groups less likely to be cyclists, such as women and older people.

　　• Most people were receptive to using e-bikes, but cost was a major barrier.

▲Domestic brand light trucks promote the “Bike2go” bicycle sharing plan, cooperating with hotels such as Park Hyatt and Opposite House