When we’re on the road with the cargo bike, it usually causes a lot of conversation. From “Wow, cool bike” to serious interest, all reactions have already been there. Most of the time, though, it includes this question, “How much does a bike like this cost?” After our answer, you can literally hear most people gulp. Several thousand euros for a bike? This is still unthinkable for many. The second-hand online retailer Upway could be a solution to this problem: It has set itself the task of not only offering e-bikes a second life, but also making it affordable for many people, complete with warranty. How you can buy a used cargo bike and what it brings – let’s take a closer look!
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The cost of bicycle vs. car
In our opinion, the often almost shocked reaction to a price quote comes primarily from the fact that many people have not yet recognized the great potential of a bicycle – especially a cargo bike. Of course, a bike for several thousand euros is expensive if I buy it as an additional vehicle to the car or even a second car. The latter in particular is not uncommon: according to the German Federal Environment Agency, one in four households has two or more cars. Here in the countryside, almost every family has a second car, “because there’s no other way.
This luxury is expensive. In addition to acquisition costs, there are ongoing costs such as insurance, maintenance and depreciation, as well as energy costs, of course. Even with a small car, that quickly adds up to several thousand euros a year. Focus.de has calculated the annual costs for a Renault Twingo. Even if it is only driven 7,000 kilometers a year, it costs well over 2,000 euros just to operate…
Considering that many drives made by typical second cars in particular are very short, the bicycle or even the e-bike becomes a more than exciting alternative: whether it’s the supermarket, the office, the daycare center or a visit to your favorite person – it’s often only a few kilometers that are dearly bought by car. In addition, there are numerous other advantages that come with the bicycle – including the e-bike. Cycling is simply good for both body and mind. Especially for short trips in the city, a bicycle is often even faster – but in any case less stressful.
Bicycles are true heroes when it comes to climate protection and a change in traffic patterns. Additionally, bicycles are extremely social, while cars are exactly the opposite. Experts have calculated: In Germany, around 5,000 euros in health and environmental damage are incurred for each car per year – and these costs are borne by society.
Enough with the numbers. What we want to say is clear: If you look at it soberly, there is a lot to be said for replacing as many car trips as possible with the use of an (e-)bike. Those who do so save a lot of money and do themselves, society and, above all, the environment a huge favor. This effect is amplified when you think about buying a used bike – which finally brings us to the core of this article: Buy a used cargo bike – refurbished and with warranty.
Buy used cargo bike at Upway
The online store Upway offers retreaded electric bikes from renowned cargo bike brands such as Urban Arrow, Bergamont and Babboe with up to 50 percent savings compared to the new price. By giving e-bikes that have already been produced a second chance, you are not only helping to protect the environment at work. You also save CO2 emissions and valuable raw materials that would otherwise be consumed in the production of new bikes.
Excursus: Life cycle assessment of bicycles
You often hear: Bicycles, especially e-bikes, are totally harmful to the environment because their production is very energy-intensive and often takes place under questionable conditions. Basically, of course, this is true: The production of a bicycle does not happen through love and air, and there is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of sustainability. Batteries in particular are a problem according to the current state of the art. To be able to classify this, one should nevertheless allow the comparison to the alternative – the car. ebikeers.de has calculated this and arrived at the following values: While a bicycle without a motor causes around 345 kg of CO2 in production, an e-bike causes around 372.5 kg. Not a small amount – but a car with around 4.1 to 7.1 tons of CO2 (!) has a much greater impact.
Added to this are the emissions from ongoing operations. The bike without a motor is of course the clear winner in this comparison. An e-bike stands pretty well at 700 grams per 100 kilometers, and it gets even better if you fill up with solar power at home. At 13 to 32 kg per 100 kilometers, a car emits up to 45 times as much CO2 as a pedelec! The Federal Environment Agency has calculated: The emissions from battery production and recycling of an e-bike are already saved after 100 e-bike kilometers if 100 car kilometers are saved in return. And these figures apply to new e-bikes! Assuming you want to buy a used cargo bike, the eco-balance of your vehicle will be further improved significantly!
Big bikes for little money: buy used cargo bike at Upway
The online retailer Upway has recognized these connections and developed its business idea from them: Since June 2022, the French start-up has also been active on the German market and operates its own workshop in Berlin. Upway offers its customers the opportunity to purchase professionally refurbished e-bikes online at affordable prices and have them delivered directly to their homes. The company strives to make electric bicycles affordable to a broad segment of the population. Used e-bikes are professionally refurbished in Berlin and come with a one-year warranty. With this, Upway wants to realize its vision of making sustainability and mobility accessible to a large target group.
The new kind of family carriage: the cargo bike
We have been absolute cargo bike fans for a long time. Especially for families, e-bikes offer numerous advantages and can even serve as a fully-fledged alternative to the car. They are an environmentally friendly alternative to the car and make a valuable contribution to environmental protection. As shown above, e-bikes are less expensive to maintain compared to cars. In addition to this, e-bikes promote a healthy lifestyle as they contribute to more physical activity in the family. This makes them perfect for a variety of uses, whether it’s the daily commute to daycare, a shopping trip or an extended weekend excursion. So buying a used cargo bike makes sense in every respect!
Used bikes further improve the eco-balance. And they continue to refute the argument often put forward: “It’s far too expensive for me. We took a look around the Upway Shop. There, compact urban e-cargo bikes are already available from currently around 2,200 euros (Bergamont Bakery). You remember: That’s roughly the annual cost of ownership for the little Renault Twingo. The cheapest Long John Cargobike costs 2,849 euros compared to the new price of 5,999 euros. We think: This is worth a click!
If the high purchase price of a cargo bike has kept you from investing so far, you should definitely take a look. By the way, you can not only buy a used cargo bike at Upway: Of course, the provider also buys used bikes itself. If you want to sell your e-bike, you can get an offer from Upway.
Sources:
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/private-haushalte-konsum/mobilitaet-privater-haushalte#mehr-haushalte-mit-kraftradern-und-e-bikes
https://ebikeers.de/ratgeber/oekobilanz-fahrrad-e-bike-auto
https://utopia.de/ratgeber/elektrofahrrad-e-bike-oeko/
