For the delivery drivers at Coquitlam office supply business Costless Express, the introduction of dedicated bike lanes in downtown Vancouver was not welcome news.
But while others complained about snarled traffic and depleted parking, Costless CEO Calvin Johnson decided to look for an opportunity and, eventually, he found one.
Since last fall he and his colleagues have been working on the EcoYIKE, a solar-electric hybrid pedicab the company hopes will help reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. Because the motor is electric the city permits the vehicles to be used on the bike lanes, enabling delivery drivers to move quickly through the traffic-clogged downtown core.
"Being environmentally friendly, we are always looking for ways to reduce our carbon emissions," Johnson said. "Here we have a super highway for bicycles right downtown."
So far, one EcoYIKE has been added to the Costless Express vehicle fleet and Johnson hopes to add four more before the summer.
While trucks are still an important part of the company's delivery network, smaller orders can be easily carried with the pedicabs. Each EcoYIKE can carry up to 800-pounds of goods, however the company likes to keep that number below 600-pounds for stopping and braking purposes.
"Our fleet of trucks is good at delivering big orders," Johnson said. "But selling office supplies, sometimes we have to deliver one little toner cartridge. The EcoYIKE can pick up all the little tiny orders and that takes the burden off of our drivers."
Johnson and his colleagues began testing the vehicles last fall and continued through the winter. While the batteries on the electric motor can last up to six hours, it is not long enough for the eight to nine hour day a delivery driver requires.
So the company is looking at adding solar panels to the vehicle, which would continuously juice up the batteries, making the pedicabs completely autonomous.
"We want a system that you don't even need to plug in," he said. "These panels will bring in enough wattage to recharge."
The EcoYIKE that is currently in the Costless Express fleet cost the company $10,000. But with the knowledge they gained during its development and economies of scale, Johnson believes that the next four vehicles will be purchased for about $7,000 each.
With each pedicab making between 20 and 40 deliveries a day, he said it will not take long for the company to recoup some of its costs.
The EcoYIKE has also given the company's brand a marketing boost. Johnson even hopes to get Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson to ride one of the vehicles through the downtown core as part of a promotional event.
While the EcoYIKE gives Costless Express a competitive advantage among Lower Mainland delivery companies, Johnson said he is not adverse to the idea of sharing the technology, albeit for a cost. He does not foresee a day when Costless Express gets into the pedicab manufacturing business, however he does want other people and businesses to take advantage of the possibilities the downtown bike lanes have to offer.
"We are passionate about these things," he said. "We want to get the vehicle out there and get people to see what it is all about."
ECOYIKE STATISTICS
Max speed: 15 km/h
Range: 40 km or six hours per charge (unlimited on solar power)
Cost: $7,000 to $10,000
Length: 249 cm
Width: 94 cm
Weight: 97 kg
Payload: 227 kg
CO2 emissions: 0
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