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Hybrid bikes enhance public pedal power
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HANGZHOU is operating the largest government-owned bicycle rental system in the world, with 85,800 bikes and daily usage peaking at 473,000. It has been so successful that commercial bike-sharing programs are now elbowing into the market, hoping to turn a public service into profit spinners.
The commercial operators offer advantages over the public program. They are more advanced in applying digital technology to bike sharing, allowing people to use mobile apps to reserve bikes, pay for them, unlock them and track them.
That has put pressure on government-run Hangzhou Public Bicycle Co to meet the competition head on. Last week, it launched new hybrid smart bikes that are environmentally friendly.
By scanning a QR code on solar-powered electricity boxes, users can rent a battery box and plug it into the bottom of the bike basket.
For safety, the maximum speed of the hybrid bike is set at 15 kilometers an hour. The smart bike can adjust the speed according to user’s riding condition and then automatically set a speed between 8-15 kilometers per hour.
For the first hour, the rental is free. The battery rental costs 1 yuan (15 US cents) for half an hour afterwards.
The first 5,000 hybrid bikes are being deployed in the Binjiang District south of the Qiantang River. Some 338 service stations with electricity boxes will be set up there within three months.
The new energy system will be expanded citywide next year after the test run in Binjiang.
According to the company, the exhaust emissions reduced by the battery have an environmental benefit equal to planting 251 square kilometers of forests in nine years.
In addition to powering a bike, the battery can be used to charge 10 mobile phones at one time.
Some netizens have joked online that people can use the hybrid service stations if their phones go flat.
Bike-sharing data suggest that most users will rent a cycle if they are traveling 3 kilometers or less. Beyond that, people tend to hail a cab. Hangzhou Public Bicycle calls it the “3-kilometer curse.”
“We think our new hybrid bikes will break that curse,” said a company spokesman. “We hope more citizens will be willing to ride the new bikes longer distances.”
The batteries provide energy for trips of up to 10 kilometers. Once the electricity runs out, users can continue on by pedaling or can rent a new battery at the next service station.
Unlike traditional mopeds, the hybrid bikes are made of aluminum alloy, with high strength and durability and low weight. Designers also added an LED lamp to the basket as a safety precaution for nighttime riding. The wheels are in the shape of osmanthus, the city flower of Hangzhou.
When the government announced the new hybrid bike program on WeChat last week, it caused quite a stir online. Many netizens applauded the fact that the “the fixed docking stations” of the past won’t be a problem in the future.
The stations were formerly considered the biggest disadvantage for public bicycles. By contrast, users will now be able to rent a bike in one location and drop it off at their destinations. Payment and unlocking bikes can be done by mobile phone apps.
The public bicycle company has also figured out an innovative method to resolve the perennial problem of parking at docking stations by introducing 40 lift stations at crowded sites. That will double the number of parking spaces at each site.
Bike-sharing is being touted on several fronts. It provides one solution for congested traffic in downtown areas and encourages people to do their part to reduce air pollution.
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