EAV to launch 2Charge with Spin to optimise public hire e-scooter operations

Electric Assisted Vehicles (EAV) has launched the EAV2Charge, a new ultra-lightweight commercial vehicle based on its EAV2Cubed model.

While continuing to supply multiple international logistics companies from DPD to Zedify, as well as supporting supermarket deliveries by Asda and Ocado, EAV’s latest design is aimed at the fast-growing arena of e-scooter share companies that operate public hire schemes as part of the DfT’s managed trials.

Co-designed with Ford’s micromobility unit, this new vehicle will enable operators to achieve a more sustainable approach to their operations including deploying e-scooters when they need to be moved to meet local consumer demand or replacing batteries.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of the TV animation series, ‘Thunderbirds’,” said Adam Barmby, CEO and founder of EAV. “In the series, Thunderbird 2 was able to detach its rear container pod and replace it with another which was dedicated to the mission it was going to be sent on. It could deploy a submarine, trucks of all kinds and even a tunnelling vehicle called ‘The Mole’.

“We set about this challenge by considering what International Rescue would do and how we could develop a rear pod, based on the 2Cubed, which would provide Spin with the vehicle capability they needed. The approach may sound a bit far-fetched but consider what a traditional van has been used for over the years and we’re equally as versatile if not more so.”

EAV’s engineering challenge from Spin was the development of a support, repair, rescue and possible mobile charging vehicle for the trial of e-scooters which are now being deployed in Clacton-on Sea in Essex in partnership with Spin.

“We need vehicles for our operations that move us towards becoming a carbon negative company by 2025,” said Steve Pyer, UK country manager at Spin. “But we also need them to be able to carry spare batteries, tools, replacement parts and have space to move e-scooters around to meet changing demand. It had to be zero emissions, lightweight and easy to operate.

“We couldn’t find exactly what we were looking for, so we decided to create one and collaborate with the EAV team to co-design this new model. We worked with the team and converted the rear pod for our specific purpose.”

Barmby added: “At the heart of EAV, we’re a product design, development and production company and this challenge from Spin fitted our capabilities perfectly. The whole EAV2Cubed concept is designed down from a van, not up from a bike and that also applies to the rear box. We’re essentially an ultra-lightweight van so we were able to adapt the load space to Spin’s exact requirements. We see this project as supporting e-scooters and other forms of micromobility as it’s a future we all need and really believe in.”

The first vehicles are currently in production and are due to be delivered to Clacton-on-Sea in the coming weeks to support the trial managed by Spin starting this summer.

“EAV is busy developing a completely new range of future vehicles to further enhance the enormous change for the better we’re already all experiencing in our towns and cities,” said Barmby. “Quieter, lighter, completely emissions-free and aesthetically pleasing – we’re all discovering a new range of vehicles which are far less threatening and intrusive than we’re used to.

“The effect of that will be a huge reduction in road casualties as well as cleaner air and a much less stressful experience within the urban environment with absolutely no reduction in commercial efficiency. It’s simply a better future.”