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Raleigh has donated £42,000 worth of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes to National Trust properties, as the charity looks to reduce its reliance on traditional vehicles and reach carbon net-zero by 2030.
E-bikes will be trialled by staff at 11 properties, including estates such as Tyntesfield in North Somerset, Saltram in Devon and Blickling in Norfolk. Bikes will also be available to rangers at countryside sites in Snowdonia and the central and eastern Lake District.
The e-bikes will be a mixture of Raleigh’s Motus model and Haibike’s e-MTB selection. Some of the properties will use Raleigh’s e-cargo bikes so staff can transport goods and equipment around the estates.
Edward Pegram, commercial partnership manager for Raleigh, said: “An electric bike is a fun, modern solution for the National Trust to use instead of diesel-powered quad bikes, trucks and vans.
“Whether it’s an e-bike for staff to use to get from a visitor centre to a stately home quickly and quietly or one of our business cargo e-bikes to transport supplies for the shop, we’re committed to helping the National Trust achieve a more environmentally friendly future.”
Rob Rhodes, head of countryside management and rangers at the National Trust, added: “The climate crisis is one of the biggest threats facing nature and heritage and reducing our own carbon footprint is a key part of how we plan to tackle it.
“As well as being a carbon-friendly means of travel, we’re hoping the e-bikes will become a talking point, giving staff an opportunity to speak with visitors about how climate change is affecting our places, and what we’re doing about it.
“Our staff and volunteers are enjoying riding the e-bikes and we have already seen a reduction in vehicle mileage and therefore a carbon saving. It’s exciting to be harnessing the latest in low carbon technology to keep our places moving.”
Staff will trial the bikes over three months, starting from 1st June.
Read the June issue of BikeBiz below:
