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Traditional bicycle-maker Pashley turns its attention to urban delivery
Traditional bicycle-maker Pashley has turned its attentions to a 21st century phenomenon – urban deliveries.
The Stratford-upon-Avon-based manufacturer, which started making bikes 97 years ago, is now entering full production of its electric cargo tricycle, the ALECS (Articulated, Lightweight, Electric, Cargo Solution).
Designed to carry 110kg securely at 25kph and with a patented tilting front section that means its rides like a bicycle but with the stability of a tricycle, the company says it is set to change the face of last mile delivery in our towns and cities, where vans and trucks are no longer allowed.
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The ALECS is just 80cm wide so it can utilise bike lanes and faster routes – and it doesn’t require a licence or road tax to ride.
It is the culmination of four years of development at the Pashley factory, where its iconic traditional bicycles and tricycles are completely hand-built by a small, highly-skilled team before being exported all over the world.
But alongside these iconic leisure cycles, Pashley has built an unrivalled reputation in the cargo industry too, manufacturing cargo and carrier products for use by a multitude of businesses at home and overseas, including Royal Mail’s famed red ‘postie’ bikes.
The company is also a world leader in micromobility, making bikes and e-bikes for two of the UK’s biggest hire bike fleets – the Santander sponsored Bike Share scheme in London and West Midlands Cycle Hire, operating in and around Birmingham.
Every cycle is hand-built in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Pashley stands as one of only a handful of bicycle makers remaining in the UK, and the last bicycle maker in the once booming Midlands cycle industry.
Having successfully completed exhaustive real time safety, durability and rider ergonomics testing, production of the ALECS is now underway with a demo fleet being made available for businesses to trial it in their own delivery operation.
And by being in control of the whole process Pashley can discuss and to respond to its customer’s individual requirements of colour, box size and branding as required.
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“The response so far has been excellent,” Adrian Williams, Pashley’s Managing Director said.
“From small businesses needing a delivery solution or a better way to get equipment to their customers, to large organisations like Royal Mail, who have been involved in our development programme for the ALECS.
“Pashley identified a real need to answer the rapidly growing demand from cargo delivery companies and businesses that are now servicing urban areas where vans and trucks are not allowed. There are wide ranging uses and applications for our ALECS vehicle, and we have over 90 years’ experience of working with customers in this sector.
“It’s been a huge team effort and we’re immensely proud of the solution that our innovative electric cargo trike provides – and that it comes from the longest established bicycle maker in England.”
