E-bike company Beryl and partners Cornwall Council have secured funding to deliver a solar charging project, designed to improve delivery and reduce the operational costs of bike share schemes in locations like Truro.

The exciting project, the first of its kind in the UK, will boost the existing Cornwall e-bike share scheme with the installation of six solar powered e-mobility charging hubs across the region. 

These are likely to be the main areas served by the Cornwall share scheme – there are currently 302 e-bikes across 110 bays in Truro, Falmouth, Newquay, Penzance and St Austell collectively.

Installation will begin in the coming weeks, with all hubs set to be in place by March 2025. 

How the Beryl solar charger will look
How the Beryl solar charger will look (Beryl)

Rubberised solar panels will power e-bike battery recharging, vastly reducing the amount of daily battery swaps for on-street teams. This could enable the roll-out of e-bikes into more rural locations.

Beryl head of policy Patrick Donnelly said: “We’re really excited to deliver what could be a groundbreaking project for the industry, offering a blueprint for the delivery of successful e-share schemes in less densely populated rural areas.

“With over 300 e-bikes spread across 870 sq km, battery swapping in Cornwall can be time-consuming, costly and inefficient. The e-hubs could remove up to 60 swap jobs per day, freeing up more resources to carry out repairs and increasing the number of e-bikes available on the street by up to 15%. 

“Without the need for grid connection, the hubs will also reduce the scheme’s carbon footprint and operational costs, making it more feasible to expand into new areas and maximise scheme potential. 

“Ultimately, the project aims to increase ridership and, by boosting efficiency and reducing operational costs, could generate up to 50,000 more e-bike trips across Cornwall every year.”

Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “This funding will not only increase the availability of e-bikes in areas where we know they are in high demand, but also support our work to reduce Cornwall’s carbon emissions.”

This project is part of the Transport Decarbonisation Demonstrators programme, funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK.