The end of the classic bike, bpost switches to e-bikes only

bpost is saying goodbye to the classic bicycle: from this year onward, the company will only order electric bikes. In the midst of its transformation from a mail company to a parcel company, bpost is choosing the comfort of its workers. By the end of next year, bpost aims to phase out the last traditional bicycle.

A post worker, pedaling through wind and weather with fully loaded saddlebags — it’s an image we will soon never see again. bpost has decided that it will only purchase electric bikes for its post workers from now on. This means that the “traditional” postal bike, without electric assistance, will disappear by the end of next year.

Every day, bpost sends out 10,000 post workers on their rounds, 3,000 of whom use bicycles. Of those, 1,260 still cycle entirely under their own power. That is why bpost still has around 1,500 classic bicycles in use. The company will now gradually take those bikes out of service and replace them with electric models. A first new order of 440 e-bikes has already been placed this year.

Transformation at the core

The choice is a logical consequence of the transformation bpost is undergoing: fewer letters, more parcels. With an electric bike, the post worker’s round becomes smoother, more pleasant, and above all less physically demanding. Percentage-wise, there are also slightly fewer traffic incidents with electric bikes compared to classic bicycles.

The electric bike also makes it possible to work with an e-bike trailer. This is a trailer that is itself electrically powered, meaning no additional pedaling effort is required, and can carry up to 150 parcels. Routes can therefore be better adapted to the increasing parcel volumes that bpost delivers every day.