As bikeshare schemes continue to grow in popularity while the commuting public and daytrippers seek to avoid travelling on other modes of public transport, the new London-based mobility company HumanForest think they've come up with an e-bike share scheme that will topple the rest. Offering free daily 20 minute rides and costing 12p per minute thereafter, the idea hasn't gone unnoticed in the city as HumanForest have just secured £1.8 million in investment to expand across London and beyond.
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All about e-bikes
HumanForest say they are "committed to you and the planet", with all their bikes running off electricity from certified renewable sources. The swappable battery pack on each bike has an impressive range of up to 80km, and a total life cycle of over five years. A mid-motor should provide plenty of power and torque (we're assuming it's a 250 watt motor as standard), and HumanForest promise that their bikes are light and efficient.
To hire, users simply download the app and tap on a 'tree' on the map to book a bike. It's free for the first 20 minutes and then 12p per minute afterwards - which does make paid rides quite pricey (over £7 an hour) so they're probably best used for short hops. Currently the service is operating from Islington, with the option to also finish your hire in the neighbouring borough of Camden.
HumanForest was founded by Agustín Guilisasti, formerly of Cabify who manage rideshare schemes in Spain, Brazil and elsewhere: "Inspired by a trip to the Amazonas, we wanted to bring the forest to the city, but a different kind of forest where humans are the trees”, it says on HumanForest's website... which granted all sounds a little vague and idealistic, but if it's successful then who can argue with free e-bike rides? In any case, the scheme is currently in a trial phase, and will be expanding rapidly off the back of the £1.8 million investment recently received. HumanForest say they want to "take on traditional mobility services in London", and have racked up over 42,000 rides since launching the trial in June.
The company plan to increase their London fleet to 1,000 bikes by the end of September, and then 2,000 next year. They're also actively looking to bring the initiative to other areas, providing contact details for city representatives to get in touch. For more info check out the HumanForest website, and if you're a Londoner you can get riding now by downloading the HumanForest app.
