Half van, half bicycle: The cut and shut vehicle that wants to take down diesel

No wonder the government is so reluctant to publish Britain’s clean air plan ahead of the election – it needs to be radical.

An investigation by The Guardian and Greenpeace earlier this this month revealed  hundreds of thousands of children are being educated within 150 metres of a road where levels of nitrogen dioxide from diesel traffic breach legal limits. Almost 60 per cent of British people live in areas where levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution exceed legal limits.

An explosion in internet shopping and yo-yo policies have flooded our streets with diesel vehicles. Over 6,000 diesel buses and 20,000 diesel cabs drive in circles around London every day.

Urban Arrow is a Dutch cargo bike specialist that has already sold its vehicles to eleven countries wanting to make their cities greener and quieter. Their latest project takes a cut and shut approach to reducing diesel emissions in urban areas.

The Tender marries bicycle technology in its rear frame and automotive technology up front. Essentially, it’s half bike and half van.

With a capacity of 1500 litre and a maximum payload of 350 kg, the Tender is ideally placed to replace many diesel delivery vans. Our next government should take note.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.