Improving mobility with e-bikes – testers needed
E-bikes are an effective way for ETH Zurich to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations. This summer, the university will be testing out several models that will allow ETH students and employees to use e-bikes. Currently, 100 people are needed to test an app-based lending system.
To reduce its carbon footprint and energy consumption, ETH Zurich promotes sustainable mobility for its employees. This involves both ETH-internal measures as well as partner projects. The Mobility Platform is the hub for mobility-related questions at ETH Zurich.
The Mobility Platform is currently considering a partnership with the private e-bike lending system smide. smide is an innovation project run by Mobiliar and uses a smartphone app that shows where e-bikes are currently located and available to borrow in the Zurich city area. To borrow a bike, the user simply has to register with the smide app. E-bike use is then charged to the individual user’s account. When the rider is finished with the e-bike, they simply leave it wherever they please, and the smide team picks it up again and handles the maintenance.
100 free minutes for 100 ETH testers
The ETH Mobility Platform will be testing the smide e-bike lending and sharing system from 6 June to 31 July 2017 and is looking for 100 ETH members to participate in the test phase in June and July. At the end of the test phase, smide will then conduct a survey of the testers and a confidential assessment of the usage data. Based on this information, ETH Zurich will then make a decision about a long-term partnership with smide.
Each of the 100 testers will receive 100 free minutes for smide bikes during June and July. To make borrowing e-bikes as convenient as possible for ETH testers, four bike hubs will also be set up during the test phase at H?nggerberg, Oerlikon railway station, Zurich main station and the ETH main building.
Interested?
ETH Zurich students and employees who want to take part in the test phase should send their name and personal ETH email address to the ETH Mobility Platform.
Eligibility requirements:
- ETH email address (no group email addresses!)
- Smartphone with Swiss phone number
- Holder of a vehicle registration document, at least category M (motor-assisted bikes, lightweight mopeds, electric lightweight motor-assisted bike)
A “cargo bike” for H?nggerberg
ETH has also already committed to another e-bike lending system that makes it possible to transport cargo and other small loads. In addition, the Mobility Academy of Touring Club Schweiz (TCS) will be rolling out the eCargo bike sharing platform carvelo2go in Zurich and Winterthur on 6 June 2017.
ETH Zurich is a project partner and will be providing a cargo e-bike at the H?nggerberg campus from 6 June 2017. For an hourly or daily fee, ETH students and employees can borrow this cargo bike, which will be located near the bistro, provided they have previously registered online at external page carvelo2go. ETH members can also take advantage of this offer within a city-wide network of 20 locations throughout Zurich.
ETH team e-bikes
A third e-bike offering is intended specifically for ETH employees. The Mobility Platform is currently running a pilot project to test various e-bike models that could be used as “team e-bikes”. The idea is that entire groups, staff units, or departments at ETH Zurich will be able to use e-bikes in the future. ETH employees could use these e-bikes during working hours to travel between the various ETH buildings and sites.
The Mobility and Transport section will be responsible for providing and maintaining the bikes. Like the other vehicles in the ETH fleet, the e-bikes will be available to users for a monthly fee.
A pilot project with six e-bikes has been underway since last year, and there are plans to test another new model before the summer holidays. Interested teams can also contact the Mobility Platform.
ETH Zurich employees who want to take part in the test phase should send their name and personal ETH email address to the ETH Mobility Platform at: .
ETH Zurich Mobility Platform
The Mobility Platform was established in spring 2016 by Vice President Human Resources and Infrastructure at ETH Zurich, Professor U. Weidmann. It is jointly managed by Susann G?rlinger and Urs Nussbaum and is the central point of contact for mobility-related issues at ETH Zurich, with three main focuses: campus mobility, business trips, and logistics. Mobility is also one of the three action areas of “The Confederation: exemplary in energy” action plan.
Photo gallery: Improving mobility with e-bikes
