eBike startup Lug+Carrie improves on-road safety with ridePlan

Lug+Carrie is delivering safer cycling routes to their eBike subscribers using ridePlan joruney planning app. Read the case study to find out how.

Challenge

Cyclists unfamiliar and less confident cycling around the local area.

Requirements

A user-friendly mobile app that finds, plans and navigates Lug+Carrie eBike subscribers via the safest, quietest and most efficient cycling routes.

Solution

The utilisation of the ridePlan trip planning application with personalised onboarding.

“Safety is paramount for all of our riders, but especially the mums and dads who choose one of our eBikes as a healthier way to transport their kids to and from school. By partnering with Intelematics and introducing ridePlan, we believe we can provide an extra level of reassurance which removes safety as a barrier and makes navigating our busy city and suburban streets easier and safer.”

David Carr

Co-Founder and Managing Director,
Lug+Carrie

The Client

Founded in 2019 by brothers Ben and Dan Carr, Lug+Carrie is a premium e-Cargo bike subscription business that operates in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with 800 bikes and 1,000 customers. The company intends to expand across the country. They offer two eBikes for subscription, the Tern HSD and Tern GSD, both of which can be outfitted with a range of cargo and passenger accessories.

The company has a strong family focus and specialises in eBikes designed to safely carry adults and up to two children, ideal for busy cities. Many of their bikes are used by commuters, as well as mums and dads to transport kids to-and-from school.

The Challenge – The popularity of eBikes is increasing, but safety needs to be addressed

Demand for eBikes is on the rise. Between 2020 and 2021, approximately 1.6 million eBikes arrived in Australia. In major cities like Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, pay-and-ride, privatelyowned and delivery eBikes are now a common sight.

Their popularity is being driven by consumers looking for cheaper forms of transport in response to rising fuel prices and an interest in healthier, sustainable travel alternatives. Many cities and councils are taking a proactive approach in encouraging behaviour change through active transport trials that make healthy and sustainable transport more accessible and convenient.

A key challenge standing in the way of broader adoption is safety – with frequent reports of accidents a reminder of the risks of cycling, especially for less experienced riders

The Solution – A bike journey planning app with a focus on safety

As part of their commitment to the safety of their riders, Lug+Carrie has an established onboarding and orientation process for new customers. This includes a comprehensive walkthrough and demonstration of the safety features and capabilities of each bike they hand over. But in early 2022, the company made the decision to seek out a technology partner to help them further enhance rider safety.

Lug+Carrie approached Intelematics and expressed an interest in ridePlan. RidePlan is part of Intelematics’ Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, Omniway, which plans and optimises a user’s bike journey. The platform builds on the success of the arevo journey planner app developed for RACV.

RidePlan provides turn-by-turn navigation, voice guidance and the option of choosing the quietest, flattest or fastest route. RidePlan’s safety algorithm also accounts for road infrastructure, such as bike lanes, and different road surfaces.

Lug+Carrie used ridePlan as part of a trial with Merri-bek City Council in Melbourne. Between July and September 2022, it was trialled by mums and dads at three inner-city primary schools. Forty riders used the app to conduct school drop-offs and pickups over a four-week period.

The Outcome — A complete integration with ridePlan

Working with Intelematics’ software engineering team, RidePlan was customised for Lug+Carrie customers. This included pre-loaded home, school and work destinations to make the adoption of the service easier for triallists.

Seventy-five per cent of Merri-bek trial participants said they typically drove their kids to school, but the trial helped to open their eyes about the potential of doing the school run by bike. Merri-bek is now hoping to roll out the trial to more schools in 2022.

Following the success of the trial, Lug+Carrie has launched RidePlan to all existing and new customers. The app has been integrated into their onboarding and orientation process, providing subscribers with a personalised experience using predefined preferences.

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