Two of the UK’s most loved institutions, the National Trust and Raleigh Bicycles, have announced a collaboration which will see £42,000 of electric bikes and electric cargo bikes donated to National Trust properties, as the charity looks to reduce its reliance on traditional vehicles and reach carbon net zero by 2030.

Electric bikes will be trialled by staff at 11 properties, including estates such as Tyntesfield in North Somerset, Saltram in Devon and Blickling in Norfolk, providing an environmentally-friendly alternative for short journeys. Bikes will also be available to rangers at countryside sites in Snowdonia and the central and eastern Lake District. Staff at these properties welcome a combined total of over 28 million visitors a year.

The electric bikes will be a mixture of Raleigh’s popular Motus model, and Haibike’s more rugged electric mountain bike selection. Some of the properties will use Raleigh’s e-cargo bikes, built for versatility and convenience, so staff can transport goods and equipment around the estates. 

Edward Pegram, Commercial Partnership Manager for Raleigh outlines how the bikes will benefit each National Trust property.

“An electric bike is a fun, modern solution for the National Trust to use instead of diesel powered quad bikes, trucks and vans. Whether it’s an e-bike for staff to use to get from a visitor centre to a stately home quickly and quietly, or one of our business cargo e-bikes to transport supplies for the shop, we’re committed to helping the National Trust achieve a more environmentally friendly future”.

Rob Rhodes, Head of Countryside Management and Rangers at the National Trust said:

“The climate crisis is one of the biggest threats facing nature and heritage and reducing our own carbon footprint is a key part of how we plan to tackle it. As well as being a carbon-friendly means of travel, we’re hoping the ebikes will become a talking point, giving staff an opportunity to speak with visitors about how climate change is affecting our places, and what we’re doing about it. Our staff and volunteers are enjoying riding the ebikes and we have already seen a reduction in vehicle mileage and therefore a carbon saving. It’s exciting to be harnessing the latest in low carbon technology to keep our places moving.” 

Staff will trial the bikes over three months, starting from 1 June.

https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/offers/raleigh-and-the-national-trust/