DB Schenker are delivering consignments in Hamburg using a huge bicycle trailer.
Cargo bikes are nothing new in Germany, they have been used by the logistics operators there for years. The sight of a courier driving this type of vehicle does not surprise city dwellers, and yet you cannot pass by the bicycle tested by DB Schenker in Hamburg indifferently.
Der Fahrer ist mindestens genauso cool wie das Gefährt. #Hamburg #Klimaschutz #fahrrad pic.twitter.com/93h396Lr9D
— mahhbu (@mahhbu) August 19, 2019
The Mega Bike, as the German daily Bild called it, is 6.5 metres long and can hold three euro pallets. The vehicle is in fact a foot-propelled ‘tractor’ with a semi-trailer. The ‘combination’ can travel at speeds up to 25 km/h and carry up to 500 kg of cargo. As declared by the company, the giant bicycle carries consignments of a total weight of 20 tonnes (!) per month. Deployment of this vehicle is aimed at reducing exhaust emissions.
We have made a commitment to the city to reduce emissions. This is an exciting concept for us,” said Gert Ludt, head of the Hamburg branch of DB Schenker, to Bild.
We already know that the company ordered two more such ‘combinations’ and one of them will go to Regensburg.
Christian Rusche, CEO of Cargo Cycle, a company that produces cargo bicycles, said that he plans to build an even larger vehicle. “We do not want to give up vans and light trucks, but there are areas where bikes are more cost-effective and faster,”
However, the Mega Bike is not cheap. According to recumbent.news, it costs €20,000.
Photo credit @ Wikimedia/ Leonhard Lenz CCA-SA 4.0 International