Image: Stephen Leitch. Photo Credit: Richard Braggs
Back in 2017 we purchased our first two electric bikes for SWE, and as a consequence reduced our use of company cars.
In the first year alone, those bikes travelled over 4,500 kilometres – journeys which otherwise would have been made in a petrol or diesel vehicle. We have since made the commitment to purchase company e-bikes for any staff who want one, and a number have taken us up on the offer of an e-bike or a pushbike.
We have also tried to encourage others to try our e-bikes for themselves, to see them as a viable alternative for some journeys. We have organised loans to the Graeme Dingle Foundation Marlborough team, to teachers, clients, and others. Even one of the local vicars is currently riding an SWE e-bike! People are often surprised how quick and easy it is to go by e-bike. Biking from Blenheim’s centre to the Riverlands Industrial Estate, 5km away, is often faster than by car. My own travel by e-bike has notched up more than 10,000km since 2017.