Skip to main content

California’s green transport solution – the electric cargo bicycle

An electric cargo bike, the 2x4 (two by four), developed by California-based NTS Works, can carry large objects into tight urban centres and other locations where deliveries by full-size vehicles can be difficult and costly, according to the company. The lightweight, compact 2x4 is only slightly larger than a conventional cycle and has a flat cargo bed in front that can hold up to eight grocery bags. An electric motor assists the rider when pedalling and is adjustable via a handlebar mounted display so
August 29, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
RSSAn electric cargo bike, the 2x4 (two by four), developed by California-based 7512 NTS Works, can carry large objects into tight urban centres and other locations where deliveries by full-size vehicles can be difficult and costly, according to the company.

The lightweight, compact 2x4 is only slightly larger than a conventional cycle and has a flat cargo bed in front that can hold up to eight grocery bags.  An electric motor assists the rider when pedalling and is adjustable via a handlebar mounted display so that even steep hills can be climbed with little effort.  The bike is stated to have a ‘real’ range of thirty miles.  

Asked why he developed the 2x4, Mr. Saiki states: “It’s the next step toward even cleaner and more affordable transportation.  It’s for someone who wants to do even better than an electric vehicle.  Riding 10,000 miles with the electric assist motor will only cost about US$22 in electricity.  It’s almost free to ride with virtually no impact on the environment.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • StreetLight Data maps future
    February 20, 2019
    Laura Schewel of StreetLight Data talks to Adam Hill about the importance of measuring what you do – and about how paint will remain perhaps the most important piece of technology in the city planners’ armoury for a decade to come Transportation is dangerous, responsible for 30% of global cargo emissions today. Some experts believe that it will be responsible for 80% by 2050. And that’s before you even get on to the safety question - just ask tech entrepreneur Laura Schewel. “Transportation is getting wo
  • Report: Invest now in fuel cell vehicles?
    April 24, 2015
    According to IDTechEx, there is divided opinion on future of traction fuel cells in electric vehicles, though few argue any more that they will power the majority of electric vehicles (EVs). Nonetheless some manufacturers are very enthusiastic and now could be the beginning of the end of the trough of disillusionment, indeed the time to invest, as analysed in the IDTechEx report Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles 2015-2030: Land, Water, Air. A comparison of views by IDTechEx) found that Toyota, Nissan, Honda,
  • Make traffic policing and casualty reduction a priority, says charity
    April 29, 2015
    A report released this week by road safety charity Brake and Direct Line has revealed that nearly half of UK drivers (49 per cent) admit to breaking traffic laws. Of those, half say they do so through inattention, while the other half admit to doing so deliberately, because they think they can get away with it or do not agree with the laws. When asked what unsafe driving behaviour they witnessed most, 71 per cent cited distraction such as from mobile phones, followed by tailgating speeding (67 per ce
  • Siemens tests eHighway system
    August 7, 2014
    Siemens, in conjunction with Volvo, is to trial an eHighway system on a two-mile stretch of highway in California in the vicinity of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The company was awarded the contract by Southern California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) with the objectives of eliminating local emissions, reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and cutting the operating costs of trucks. The two ports are seeking an emission-free solution, Zero Emission I-710 Project, for a