A2B, the global e-bike brand, have announced their acquisition of the Electric Bicycle Network, the UK’s largest electric bike hire network.
The Electric Bicycle Network currently provides over 5000 e-bike rentals a year for visitors to some of the largest national parks in the UK, including the Lake District, The Peak District, the Chilterns and the Cairngorms.
“Since establishing the network in 2011, our aim was to provide a completely new, green, quality customer experience for as many consumers across the UK as possible,” explained Steve Garidis, co-founder of the Electric Bicycle Network. “To make that a reality, we needed to find an organisation that had the ability, desire and fit to make that happen on a wider scale – we found that in A2B.”
A2B intend to use their management and marketing resources to invest in the network to develop it further so that ‘more people have the opportunity to discover our fantastic parks and countryside in an easy, fun and – more importantly – sustainable way’.
The Electric Bicycle Network will retain the same name and branding. However, the organization is now registered as a community interest company, the new legal status ensures the network continues to provide local benefits by ‘reinvesting in the community’.
In a statement A2B said: “As a global organisation, we continue to work alongside other worldwide e-bike charitable foundations, including Cycology in South Africa and Italy, to raise awareness of the benefits of electric bicycles and will bring this experience to the Electric Bicycle Network.”
A2B has pledged to keep the cost of hire and charge points the same during 2014, saying: “Keeping hire and charge point costs to a minimum is paramount if we want to achieve our ambition of establishing and expanding the Electric Bicycle Network across the UK in the coming years.”
Fernando Kuefer, General Manager of A2B adds: “A2B is very excited to be a part of the Electric Bicycle Network. Our aim is to establish relationships with more UK leisure and tourism organisations so that even more people can discover the benefits of e-bikes and enjoy our fantastic local landscapes in an easy, fun and environmentally sound way.”
