In a bizarre move, aboard an Urban Arrow Cargo e-bike, the mysterious Stig has provided compelling evidence that two wheels are far better than four in central London.
The Top Gear 'personality' took to the streets of London in one of the iconic BBC show's famous challenges which pits two modes of transport against each other. In this episode an electric motor assisted e-bike was tasked with beating a traditional white delivery van in a cross-city delivery-off.
The e-bike bike in question was Netherlands-based ebike brand Urban Arrow's Cargo model.
Equipped with a mid-range Bosch motor and a Nuvinci Continuously Variable Planetary Transmission, the aluminium framed Urban Arrow Cargo has a 36-volt, 10Ah Li-ion battery, a loaded range of 40km, an unloaded range of 50km, and a max pedal assisted speed of 25km/h.
- Read more: ebiketips' guide to electric cargo bikes
The Urban Arrow Cargo could only carry 350 litres of goods compared to the transit van's 7000 litres. So, while the van may be suited for bigger jobs, the bike's ability to skip loggerhead traffic jams, as well as parking and unloading quickly, makes it the sensible decision for short and lightweight delivery trips.
The result of the competition - which you can watch below - was a decisive victory for the e-bike. This comes as no surprise to those of us who have ridden bicycles in London, and have witnessed the nightmare of the traffic conditions first hand.
The indication is that cargo e-bikes are the future of goods transportations.
A fleet of Urban Arrow Cargo e-bikes - priced at £4299 - would work out as a cheaper and more efficient option for a large number of inner city good delivery services.
We expect to see plenty more would-be Stigs bopping about central London in the years to come!