Aussie startup seeks to make greener options accessible with e-bike subscription service

Kaycee Enerva

Kaycee Enerva

Lug and Carrie e-bike

Melbourne-based e-bike startup Lug and Carrie is seeking to make greener e-bike options more accessible to the everyday consumer. 

Founded by brothers Ben and Dan Carr, the startup offers a wide range of e-bikes on a flexible and scalable pay-a-you-go-subscription lease without long-term commitments.

For a fixed weekly fee starting from $44, subscribers can enjoy exclusive access to a premium e-bike kitted out with all essentials, including delivery and customisation, regular maintenance by an expert mechanic, roadside assistance, and theft and damage insurance. 

Generally speaking, e-bikes are bicycles with batteries to aid in pedalling, or in some cases, a throttle. It helps with hills, inclines, and rough terrain, allowing for a smoother ride, thus reducing stress on joints – it gets people cycling who may not otherwise ride a traditional bike because of physical aches and pains.

In addition, studies have shown that e-bikes can also help with climate change. It emits only 22g of CO2 per km, less than one-tenth of a car which emits 271g per km. 

“In both Sydney and Melbourne, we’ve seen an increase in bike infrastructure and pop-up lanes since the pandemic began, and many of us – including beginner cyclists – can use eBikes to travel shorter distances faster than we could via car, train or bus,” said Ben Carr, co-founder, Lug and Carrie.

He added that despite the benefits of having an e-bike, it is often overlooked due to the significant costs associated with an up-front purchase. 

“You’re usually looking at many thousands of dollars to buy a good quality model, and that’s a massive barrier to entry for your everyday consumer,” he said.

“We want to shake things up and democratise access to premium eBikes so that all Australians can travel more greenly and reach their full sustainability and lifestyle potential.”

While e-bikes emit less carbon dioxide than cars, it is still not as sustainable as traditional bicycles because of their lead battery use. E-bike batteries, on average, only last a year or two and depends on lead-acid batteries for power. Eventually, if not properly disposed of, they end up in landfills releasing lead into the environment.

Kaycee Enerva

Kaycee Enerva

A digital content manager based in the Philippines, Kaycee Enerva has written for multiple publications over several years. A graduate of Computer Science, she exchanged a career in IT to pursue her passion for writing. She's slowly practicing sustainability through period cups, and eating more plant-based food.

2 comments

Comment

Subscribe – it's free