Get on your bike… and go electric

The old “you never see a farmer on a bike” adage could be set to change with the arrival of a fleet of electric all-terrain utility bikes in the UK which it is claimed are suitable for work on both arable and livestock farms.

Farmers could be set to plug into the electric trend with the off-road vehicles developed in New Zealand which offer not only a range of around 75 miles but also almost silent transport for checking stock.

Electric Wheels, the company which has taken delivery of its first consignment of 25 bikes, offers the vehicles on a hire basis and already has interest from as far afield as the North-east of Scotland and Cornwall.

Company founder Chris Hurdle came across the bikes while on a family trip to New Zealand and he subsequently purchased one for use in his own events business - and was amazed by the interest which it attracted:

“Increasingly businesses in all sectors are thinking about the impact their activity has on the environment, and it is 0 Chris Hurdle of Electric Wheels clear that electric vehicles’ not up to carting a big time has come. But the bale of silage, they can options in the utility transport up to 150kg, market have been very have a 75 mile range from limited up until now,” said a six hour charge, and can Hurdle. travel at speeds of up to

“The Electric Wheels 30mph. Currently they are bikes solve all sorts not road-legal in the UK, of problems: they are being designed for offroad practically silent, they use. have zero emissions, they Short-term hire starts at are all-terrain, and they around £200 a week while are easy to use – if you can longer-term contracts see ride a bicycle, you will be that fall to closer to £50. able to ride the work bike.” “We are already seeing

Hurdle said that the interest from a wide bikes, which do not have variety of potential users, pedals, feature drive to and while the silent both front and rear wheels operation might appeal in order to allow all-terrain to livestock farmers use, and are available with checking stock, arable a range of accessories farmers have expressed such as load platforms, interest in the long range luggage boxes and even and light footprint for crop flashing beacons. While checking over wide areas.”