Lyon tests freely accessible cargo bikes with Vélo’v

The Vélo’v bike-sharing service in Lyon launches an experiment with about twenty cargo bikes available for one year, at a bargain price.

Renting a bike through a shared service is very convenient for everyday life. However, almost all of these are simple city bikes, electric or not. For doing large shopping or transporting children, cargo bikes are still very rare. Indeed, Lyon is testing this solution starting this week.

The Lyon-based Vélo’v service is launching this Thursday, March 16, a shared cargo bike program. Fully self-service, without a station to lock the bike like traditional bikes, they are called cargoVélo’v. The city is conducting a trial with only 20 units to start, lasting one year. The cargo bikes are Urban Arrow models, a Dutch brand specialized in this type of cycle.

How to use a Vélo’v cargo bike in Lyon, and at what cost?

These bikes must be parked in designated spots called “Cargo Velov,” and are only available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Unlike traditional bikes, the pricing is per minute, similar to operators like Lime or Dott. Renting a cargoVélo’v costs 8 cents per minute. This means a 15-minute trip costs only €1.20. This price is highly attractive, as the operation is “funded by the Vélo’v innovation program,” says Bruno Bernard, President of Greater Lyon.

To rent a cargoVélo’v, you need to download the Vélo’v app to see available bikes in Lyon, along with their battery charge level. As practical information, Urban Arrow states an autonomy of around 50 km per charge. To unlock the cargo bike, you must use the Cargoroo app, which requires opening an account to be able to access the bikes.

Also read: Bike rental: LLD, shared or company bike?