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

  • Smart transport systems investment will continue to grow despite public sector cuts
    May 30, 2012
    The ITS sector is now going through an evolution driven by the maturation of communications technologies and their increasing adoption in major cities worldwide. The widespread availability of high-speed networks, both fixed and wireless, along with the ability to embed intelligence in physical objects throughout the urban environment and the diffusion of mobile devices that can send and receive real-time vehicle or infrastructure information, is driving the adoption of smart transportation systems in citie
  • New vehicle technologies ‘could help reduce fatalities on European motorways’
    March 5, 2015
    New safety technologies could play a major role in reducing the numbers killed on European motorways, according to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), in a new report published today. The new analysis of developments in motorway safety shows that, despite recent progress, around 1,900 were killed on motorways in the EU in 2013. The report cites figures from several countries showing that up to 60 per cent of those killed in motorway collisions were not wearing a seatbelt. It calls on the EU to req
  • Electric cars merely a green Illusion, according to new environmental book
    June 12, 2012
    Hybrid and electric cars are neither clean nor green according to a new environmental book, Green Illusions, written by University of California - Berkeley visiting scholar Ozzie Zehner. It exposes numerous hidden side effects of new hybrid and electric cars. The analysis considers mining impacts, toxins, energy use, suburban sprawl and carbon footprints of production. From an environmental perspective, Zehner argues that hybrids and electric cars are no better than conventional internal combustion engined
  • Sensys Traffic moves into growth phase with new CEO
    March 24, 2015
    Sensys Traffic is moving into what it calls a new phase with the appointment of a new CEO. Torbjörn Sandberg, currently a member of the company’s Board of Directors, is replacing Johan Frilund, who will assume responsibility for strategic business development following this change. Having established itself in the market, the company is now entering a new phase in which the focus is on growth, both organic and through acquisitions, continued internationalisation and business development. After seven years a