Brussels bike rental service Villo will finally be able to offer riders some extra help with the launch of its electric bike service on 29 November.
Marred by several technical delays, the electric version of the bike system is finally ready for launch, with a fleet of 1800 electric Villo bikes set to arrive in the capital.
The service works by using a portable battery - provided by Villo to subscribed users - which riders can plug into the bikes. The battery is USB chargeable and has a range of nearly 10 kilometres, roughly 30 minutes ride time.
The electric bike option will have cost an additional €4.15 per month on top of the regular subscription to the service, which an estimated 35,000 people use.
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First announced for the beginning of the summer, the electric bicycles were first delayed by a "technical bug". Then, they were postponed for a second time following inconclusive technical tests.
"We did a lot of testing last month and the software errors are eliminated," Villo director Jérôme Blanchevoye told Bruzz. He also confirmed that the bikes will be ready by the announced date.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
