2020 may have been a catastrophe for the world economy, but it was a very good year for two-wheelers. e-Bikes, in particular, saw an unprecedented rise in numbers, as many commuters turned to alternative means of transport that would help them maintain social distance.
To accommodate this growing trend, Belgian startup Street Waves launched the HAVN e-bike parking station that has a little bit of everything in a comparatively compact footprint, which makes it a near-complete solution.
Each HAVN parking space includes a lidded 55-liter (14.5-gallon) stainless steel container, which serves as storage for bike accessories, such as gloves and helmet, and perhaps even a backpack. On the inside of the lid is a vanity mirror, which aims to help those cyclists who are also concerned about not looking a mess once they step off the bike. Basically, you use it to see if you have a case of the so-called “helmet hair” — and fix it if need be.
The parking itself has a raised steel bracket for locking both the bike and the lid of the storage unit with just one lock (your own) and a lower steel bracket for keeping the front wheel facing forward. The upper steel bracket comes with several holes through which you can run the lock, which means this unit is one-size-fits-all.
The parking unit is bolted down to the pavement and can also be connected to the grid, in which case it would offer charging to cyclists while they’re away. This would be perfect for long-distance commuters to either top off their battery or completely recharge it while they’re at work, for the ride back home.
In a nutshell, Street Waves seems to have thought of everything in designing HAVN and is now pitching municipalities to sell them its solution.
Takeaway
To lock up, users run their lock through holes in the lid and the main body of the unit, then around their bike — securing the bike and gear with a single lock. Finally, it is important to add that the HAVN units can also be wired into the local electrical grid, to allow riders to recharge their bikes. A single car parking space will fit eight HAVN's.
Action point
There is a growing number of cities looking to promote eco-friendly transport and in that sense, they have been pushing the various bike and e-bike initiatives. The problem remains - where to park those e-bikes and how to make it easy for constituents to charge them. And that's what HAVN tries to solve with its unique solution, e-Bikers will not only use but LOVE. This further translates into easier sell to the public while at the same time bringing political points to those promoting such initiatives.
Contact Street Waves and see whether you can distribute their savvy HAVN parking stations to the municipalities your business servers. Beyond pitching to local officials, this sort of product could also be sold to other major employers in your community as well as gas stations, retailers, and everyone else occupying a big piece of land. Or to businesses with a building in or near the city center, big parks and so on. The number of e-Bikers is growing with the day and it is up to you to position your business for success in this market.