An e-cargo bike for the last mile

It was the vision of a liveable urban space of the future that drove Beres Seelbach (CEO), Philipp Kahle (CTO) and Murat Günak (CDO) to found the company ONOMOTION in 2016. Aware that mobility behaviour has spatial design implications in addition to environmental influences, they developed a new class of vehicle. The ONO - an e-cargo bike - has the potential to revolutionise courier, express and parcel (CEP) transport in inner cities in an emission-free, safe and efficient way.

As the former chief designer of the Volkswagen Group, Murat Günak transfers the design and quality standards of the automotive industry to the design of the innovative vehicle. According to ONO, the e-load bike for the last mile has more space than conventional load bikes and can also be used in rainy weather due to its holistic design including a weather protection. The 1.4kWh battery from GreenPack allows a range of up to 30 km, which can be doubled on one trip by replacing it with a second battery. A built-in holder in the vehicle is provided for transporting the spare battery. The electric assistance up to 25 km/h facilitates the transport of goods up to 200 kg.

Due to the small external dimensions, ONOs can be driven on cycle paths and are approved for use without a driving licence. The modular containers have a load volume of 2 m3 - thus four modules can replace a truck load volume. An RFIC chip ensures ease of operation by causing the vehicle to be locked and unlocked as well as the container to be opened and uncoupled. ONO can be booked in a leasing contract that includes maintenance, wear-and-tear repairs, spare parts supply, fully comprehensive insurance and access to battery exchange machines. In addition, funding for commercial e-cargo bikes with pedelec 25 e-drives is available from the Federal Ministry for the Environment.

ONO refers to the principle according to which the so-called last mile does not necessarily have to be covered by a large van, but can be made much more efficient, sustainable and small-scale. According to the Journal für Mobilität und Verkehr (Journal for Mobility and Transport) of the Deutsche Verkehrswissenschaftliche Gesellschaft e.V. (German Transport Science Society), CEP distribution with e-cargo bikes could significantly reduce the volume of lorries and thus noise and CO2 emissions in urban areas in the future. Delaying traffic jams could also be bypassed on cycle paths; the parking situation is much more pleasant for all involved simply because of the size of the vehicles. In order to be able to efficiently use this type of micromobility in the CEP sector, a precise organisation is required. The intended method is based on a supra-regional distribution to micro-depots, which then distribute the deliveries to the neighbourhoods with e-cargo bikes. According to the 2017 sustainability study by the Bundesverband Paket und Express Logistik (German Parcel and Express Logistics Association), urban locations with a high population/household density per square metre are particularly suitable as locations for microdepots.

In January of this year, the operation of a micro depot was started in Kniprodestraße in Berlin. The project came about as a cooperation between DPD Germany, ONO, Swobbee and the Sprint filling station there. The concept is to distribute the incoming DPD deliveries in the hub to containers for two ONOs as well as four additional cargo bikes. These will deliver to the districts of Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg, Pankow and Lichtenberg emission-free. The Sprint filling station provides a former repair workshop as its premises. At the Swobbee station, empty batteries can be replaced with charged ones, or regular charging can be carried out at a 75 kW charging station.

Hermes Germany GmbH also started series operation of 18 ONOs in the densely populated districts of Berlin in February this year. This was preceded by a successful test phase in summer 2019, which met all the technical requirements for the logistics service provider's parcel delivery. ONO is now an essential part of Hermes Germany's "Urban Blue" mobility concept, which aims to deliver to Germany's 80 largest inner cities with zero emissions by 2025.

The EU-funded institute EIT InnoEnergy supports innovative projects and companies involved in the field of sustainable energy. ONO is also being funded with a total of three million euros until the end of 2022. The goal is to be represented across Europe in more than 60 major cities with 14,000 ONOs by 2025. EIT also provides a network of pan-European partnerships that will drive the planned expansion.

"We are seeing a tangible change in the way people and goods are moved in our urban centres," says Jennifer Dungs, Energy Theme Leader for Transport and Mobility at EIT InnoEnergy. "Many cities are launching initiatives to seize this opportunity and sustainably improve urban life - ONO is uniquely positioned to play an important role in these reshaped urban spaces."