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

  • Siemens technology supports UK’s first connected road test environment
    June 2, 2016
    Intelligent traffic systems company Siemens has begun working on its latest Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) project, in a collaborative partnership to create one of the most advanced environments for CAV technologies in the UK. Together with nine other consortium members, the UK Connected Intelligent Transport Environment (UK CITE) project will see trials on UK roads as early as next year, following a successful application for funding from the Government’s US%$144 million (£100 million) Intelli
  • New solutions to old problems set to cut emergency response times
    April 30, 2015
    David Crawford looks at the latest developments in emergency response. Ensuring speedier reactions to transport and travel crises is becoming increasingly important. US statistics suggest that as many as 1,000 ‘saveable’ lives can be lost each year in major cities because of operational defects in their SOS operations.
  • Sprawl spreads the costs and confines the benefits
    June 8, 2015
    A new report says car-centric planning leads to inefficient cities and divided communities as lead author Todd Litman explains. Between 1950 and 2050 the human population will have approximately quadrupled and shifted from 80% rural to nearly 80% urban; by the middle of this century the United Nations predicts an additional 2.2 billion urban residents in developing countries than there are today. How these cities grow has huge economic, social and environmental impacts and implementing proper policies can c
  • Sprawl spreads the costs and confines the benefits
    June 8, 2015
    A new report says car-centric planning leads to inefficient cities and divided communities as lead author Todd Litman explains. Between 1950 and 2050 the human population will have approximately quadrupled and shifted from 80% rural to nearly 80% urban; by the middle of this century the United Nations predicts an additional 2.2 billion urban residents in developing countries than there are today. How these cities grow has huge economic, social and environmental impacts and implementing proper policies can c