City Slickers – Peugeot Last Mile Solution

Peugeot has launched what they are describing as an integrated car and electric bike mobility solution aimed at City Slickers who commute to work by car but have difficulty in parking.

Apparently 36% of UK motorists commute to work but many are unable to park within a mile of their workplace. For that reason, a survey of 10,000 motorists showed that 36% worry about parking, which rises to 46% among London drivers.

In a step towards getting these worried motorists on to bikes, Peugeot is promoting their 5008 SUV with their eF01 electric bike under the City Slickers catchphrase.

The aluminium-framed eF01 electric bike weighs 18.6kg, is fitted with a battery and a motor with enough charge for up to 18-25 miles in range and will propel riders at a top speed of 12.5mph. Claiming that their folding electric bike is unique, the car manufacturer says that it “integrates neatly into the boot space of the new 5008 SUV with a mobile charging dock”. Not being an expert on cars, that is the part that sounds unique to me, having onboard charging in the boot.

The penalty is that this is an SUV (I have never understood the “sports” element of these bulky cars!) with 3 rows of seats. Given the overwhelming numbers of people who drive alone in cars during their commute, that is a lot of vehicle to shift. Still, somebody likes it, as  Gilles Vidal, Director of PEUGEOT Design, confirms: “The all-new 5008 SUV has been a huge success – selling 42,000 in Europe since its launch in 2017 and almost 3,000 vehicles in the UK since the launch in January 2018. Spacious, versatile and packed with the latest technology, we felt the PEUGEOT 5008 SUV was the perfect vehicle to pair with our first electrically assisted folding bike.”

Peugeot has recruited BMX athlete Kriss Kyle and British rally driver Catie Munnings to showcase City Slickers with how the eF01 Electric Bike helps conquer that ‘last mile’ – complete with Youtube video (below).

City Slickers ambassadors BMX athlete Kriss Kyle and British rally driver Catie Munnings [Credit Matthowell]Kriss Kyle, BMX champion, said: “The eF01 is a fantastic bike to ride – it’s great fun and practical. I was delighted to be a part of this project and I think it’s brilliant that PEUGEOT have created a solution for the last mile, which means people have the option to drive their car and cycle their bike.”

The eF01 electric bike can be charged on a mobile docking station in just 60 minutes and can be folded and unfolded in less than 10 seconds. The combination of the 5008 SUV and the eF01 bike creates an ideal solution to be able to travel anywhere