The city of Montreal can now boast having the largest electric bike sharing service in Canada—and one of the largest in North America—since BIXI Montréal rolled out 1,000 of its second-generation, electrically-assisted bicycles on September 2.
It's huge news for the city's mobility efforts, as pilot projects like dockless e-scooters proved to be a major fiasco last year.
The new bikes, which launched a new station at Cégep Marie-Victorin in Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles, came with a lot of snazzy new features for Montrealers looking to take a load off while they ride. There's a minimum range of 70km in each bike's battery, and they can reach speeds of 32 km/h and the service notes that the 'load level' is always displayed on the bike to prevent any worries about running out of juice during a trip.
Locals looking to give them a try should start seeing them slowly start appearing throughout the city. The best part for users is that they don't cost anything more than normal BIXIs do. Both regular bikes and these new electric options will be both made available at any station.
It's a collaborative effort between BIXI, the City of Montréal and Hydro Québec alongside PBSC Urban Solutions, a company focused on bike-sharing systems.
"Electric micro-mobility is shaping a new generation of urban transportation, whose practicality, speed, economy and respect for the environment are just a few of its many advantages. It’s a way of getting around the city that meets the concerns of sustainable development, while meeting citizens’ expectations” Alexandre Taillefer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BIXI Montreal, said in a press release.
For those who want to try it out, the clock's ticking: The season for BIXI ends in mid-November.
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