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HumanForest is to launch its new fleet of e-bikes in London this summer, following a pilot last year.
The bikes have long-range, swappable batteries. To make rides affordable and accessible, HumanForest’s advertising revenue model means users will receive 10 minutes free every day. Customers will then pay £0.15 per minute for usage during the rest of the day.
HumanForest estimates that its bikes will facilitate up to 7,000 rides and avoid almost four tonnes of CO2 from being emitted into London’s air every day.
The company is headed up by former Cabify lead Agustin Guilisasti and backed by Cabify founders Juan de Antonio and Vicente Pascual. Ahead of the London launch, the firm has also appointed Will Jansen as its head of roots.
Jansen, a former head of operations at Zipcar, will be responsible for optimising the fleet to maximise usage and performance as well as customer service. He will take up the role from July.
The rental e-bikes will be available in Islington and the City of London. Users will also be able to start and end their rides in Camden and Kensington and Chelsea. More borough openings will follow shortly after the launch. Although HumanForest was due to launch in the spring, the impact of COVID-19 on global supply chains and shipping has meant the bikes will now be available to rent from early August.
“We are so excited to be launching our new fleet of e-bikes this summer,” said Guilisasti. “London is the perfect city for our bikes, with ambitious targets to reduce noise, traffic and pollution matched by our ethos of affordable and sustainable transport.
“Poor air quality kills millions of people each year, while road transport contributes to a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. Urban transport is increasingly damaging to our physical and mental wellbeing, and cycling can be an effective way to improve both.
“We look forward to reForesting London, one e-bike at a time, as part of our mission to build a cleaner, greener, healthier world.”
Commenting on the appointment of Jansen, he added: “We are delighted to welcome Will to the team at an exciting and busy time for us, as we prepare to launch in London, creating the blueprint for city expansion next year.”
