Electric bike park ’n charge stations proposed

Auckland’s Big Street Bikers plans to establish street park-and-charge stations for electric bikes.

Two trial sites in Ponsonby Rd and at the LynnMall shopping centre are planned in November.

Big Street Bikers (BSB) partnered with Mercury last summer to set up The Rechargery, a solar-powered electric-bike station at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour, which has proved popular.

BSB founders Andrew Charlesworth and Matt Weavers estimate at least 20,000 e-bikes have been purchased in New Zealand, the NZ Herald reports.

They envisage e-bikes playing an important role in reducing road congestion and hope to persuade building owners and city authorities to contribute to the setting up of park-and-charge stations.

BSB outlined its vision to the Waitemata Local Board on October 16 for 10,000 e-bikers on Auckland streets by 2020.

The company says that means “less traffic, less pollution, less stressed citizens and more space”.

Based on a Northern Europe model, the park-and-charge stations offer secure parking and free electricity for the bikes of registered users who access the service through a phone app.

The system can also be integrated with Auckland Transport’s Hop card.

By allowing riders to top up their e-bike batteries outside their workplace, libraries, museums or while shopping, the stations would help alleviate range anxiety, BSB says.

If an e-bike battery goes flat, the rider may have to pedal the nearly 25kg machine home without using its electric motor.

Weavers and Charlesworth, who are also investigating establishing stations in Christchurch and Tauranga, are keen to gain local authority funding.

Weavers says BSB’s Viaduct recharging station is running well.

“All the bikes are only charging off the solar set-up on the roof so everyone is riding on sunshine. A nice sentiment and a Kiwi example of what petrol-free personal transport can look like.”

Weavers says the board was really receptive and is keen to help BSB find other city locations for the parking stations.

He says the mobile unit will be similar to The Rechargery. After opening in Lynnmall shortly it will move around over summer to ignite electric biking in different pockets of Auckland, Weaver says.

Auckland Transport says it is co-funding a trial of the company’s e-bike charging stations.

“The trial is for a year and we are contributing $20,000 towards the installation for the trial. We have also worked closely with Big Street Bikers on the location of the charging stations, to ensure they don’t block the footpath,” an AT spokesperson told the Herald.

Charging sites at public transport stations may also be considered. Standard bikes can be parked at the stations too.