Image: CityQ
Norwegian cargo bike maker CityQ has become the first European four-wheel cargo bike manufacturer to have a vehicle certified against EN 17860, a new European safety standard covering cargo bikes.
The certification covers CityQ’s cargo bike, Pickup and Passenger models and follows testing by certification company ACT-LAB. According to CityQ, ACT-LAB reported that the European four-wheel cargo bike is the first to receive the standard.
EN 17860 is a European standard specifically developed for cargo bikes. It sets requirements for areas including braking, stability, structural strength and other safety aspects, with requirements varying according to the type and weight of the vehicle.
CityQ said the vehicles were assessed across requirements including electromagnetic compatibility, braking, stability, unsafe parts, drivetrain performance and reliability, with both laboratory and road testing carried out at full load.
“Safety is critical to reducing traffic and enabling the shift of transport from vans to cargo bikes,” CityQ Founder Morten Rynning told Zag Daily. He described EN 17860 as an example of the industry and regulators establishing common safety requirements for the category.
“Europe is paving the way for the rest of the world with predictability for cargo bikes to operate in inner cities,” Rynning added.
EN 17860 was developed specifically for carrier cycles and covers both three and four-wheel cargo bikes. The standard addresses vehicles with much higher gross weights than conventional electric bicycles, with CityQ’s vehicles certified for configurations of up to 200kg payload or 450kg gross weight.
The certification is separate from EN 15194, the existing European standard for electrically power-assisted cycles. CityQ said EN 17860 addresses the cargo vehicle itself, while EN 15194 covers the electrical aspects of a pedelec.
Four-wheel models can carry larger loads and offer greater capacity for goods or passengers but their size and weight also create different safety considerations from conventional two-wheel cargo bikes.
CityQ said its vehicles have been tested in their different configurations including the cargo, Pickup and Passenger models. The Passenger model can also be configured as a pedicab for the UK market. The vehicles, according to the company, are already being used by companies including DHL in London, JCDecaux in Paris and Wolt in Oslo.
