Stockholm is about to replace the 1200 standard bikes in its rental fleet with 5000 bikes that can also be powered by an electric motor. It will also make the program year-round, rather than summer only.
With the contract running out on its existing system, the city hopes to make the bike rentals a more integral part of the transportation system. The hope is that electric option will encourage more people to use the bikes for longer trips within the metropolitan area, and to draw in people who don't ride regularly.
The new program comes in response to strong demand for more bikes, more hours and more locations. The bikes were used 500,000 times between April and October of last year, with use limited to daylight hours. The new bikes will be 24/7/365.
Users who sign up for an annual membership, costing about $35, will receive a battery they can keep at home and charge; when they want to go electric instead of pedaling, or to get a little assistance, they will simply plug the battery into the bike.
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