[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/royal-mail-to-trial-e-trikes\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/royal-mail-to-trial-e-trikes\/","headline":"Royal Mail to Trial e-Trikes","name":"Royal Mail to Trial e-Trikes","description":"Royal Mail to Trial e-Trikes for Parcel and Letter Deliveries In a move to make deliveries more environmentally sound, the Royal Mail is to trial eight custom built e-Trikes for six months in Stratford, Sutton Coldfield and Cambridge. The e-Trikes are battery and solar powered assisted by good old-fashioned pedalling. For the rider, the cabin area will be covered on the front and the top. The pedalling is battery assisted, in case you\u2019re concerned about your local postie struggling up […]","datePublished":"2019-03-22","dateModified":"2019-03-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Feature-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Feature-1.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/royal-mail-to-trial-e-trikes\/","about":["BLOG","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":483,"keywords":["E-trike","royal mail","Royal mail bike"],"articleBody":"Royal Mail to Trial e-Trikes for Parcel and LetterDeliveriesIn a move to make deliveries more environmentally sound, the Royal Mail is to trial eight custom built e-Trikes for six months in Stratford, Sutton Coldfield and Cambridge. The e-Trikes are battery and solar powered assisted by good old-fashioned pedalling. For the rider, the cabin area will be covered on the front and the top. The pedalling is battery assisted, in case you\u2019re concerned about your local postie struggling up a hill with a heavy load of parcels in a strong wind. The e-Trikes have caught the imagination, but the Royal Mail will also be trialling more conventional electric vans for where such a thing as an electric bike is not appropriate. Director of Public Affairs, David Gold, says that the plan is to progress forward and \u201ccontinue to deliver letters and parcels safely, efficiently and responsibly.\u201dThe e-Trikes will house a 250w motor and two solar panels onthe roof of the letter and parcel-carrying compartment. Built-in lighting forthose dark winter mornings will keep the e-Trikes safe, along with disc brakesto stop what might end up being quite a weight in comparison to any other typeof bike currently on UK roads. Should the trials prove successful, and I can see of no reason why they wouldn\u2019t be, then Royal Mail will consider rolling out the programme to the rest of the UK. What is interesting about this trial is that it was only as recent as 2014 that Royal Mail phased out the last of the remaining traditional Pashley postie bikes that we are probably all so familiar with. Curiously, even at the time this went against the grain somewhat, as the likes of TNT were delivering up to 95% of mail by cycle, and the company are still increasing their fleet of bikes. Royal Mail cited health and safety as one reason for phasing out the Pashleys.While it might look like manifestation of a wild took took ridefrom your past holiday nightmares, the e-Trikes are inherently safer than theold post-bike with the rider being less exposed to the dangers of the road andpassing traffic – but I still wouldn\u2019t fancy trying to reverse one.Interestingly, back when the post-bike was being phased out, Royal Mail hadalready started looking at e-bikes, but they had a concern that above a certainweight limit an e-cycle might then be classed in the same category as amotorbike. There has since been a change in the law in the UK, and therestrictions implemented by the ElectricallyAssisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 were finally updated in 2015.I think it\u2019s a great idea. As someone who cycles, I verymuch like the idea of a bike that becomes ever increasingly lighter the moreyou use it.Images: bikesr4riding.com, hulldailymail.co.uk, bikeradar.com,cambridge105.co.uk"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Royal Mail to Trial e-Trikes","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/royal-mail-to-trial-e-trikes\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]