itp:ne | Innovative local mobility

DaVe should be made from materials that are as free from harmful substances and conserve resources as possible. The product development was based on the European Commission’s “New Circular Economy Action Plan” as part of the “Green Deal”. It says: “For citizens, the circular economy will provide high-quality, functional and safe products that are efficient and affordable, more durable and designed for reuse and repair as well as high-quality recycling.”

The transdisciplinary team set the first course for a modular bicycle with a long service life that is easy to repair and dismantle.

The limitations of the current market conditions became clear to the team: This resulted in additional component 3 during the project.

DaVe's development towards a resource-saving circular economy in the bicycle industry repeatedly reached its limits because the "ecological footprint" could not be reliably determined. Such life cycle analyzes rely on data that shows the environmental impact associated with the production of materials and components. Only the respective suppliers can provide this data. However, the prerequisites for this are still lacking. Another building block is therefore transparent supply chains. Everyone who contributes to the end product must submit the ecological footprint for the respective component and keep this data permanently up to date.

There is therefore a need for transparency (supported by IT systems) throughout the entire supply chain; starting with the materials used, through repair instructions to the reuse and further use of components. Such a “digital product passport” is also provided for in the Green Deal. How the bicycle industry can create the conditions for this was the subject of a “strategy meeting” on the sidelines of Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt am Main.

In order for DaVe to make a real contribution to the regional mobility transition, it must be attractive for as many people as possible to switch from their own car to DaVe in everyday life. This requires a bicycle-friendly infrastructure in the surrounding area of ​​Darmstadt. The question that also had to be examined was: How can we provide a bicycle-friendly infrastructure for commuters in the surrounding area of ​​Darmstadt?

The sobering finding: Although there is a regional cycling concept from 2018, the implementation report shows, that there are still significant gaps. The previous (administrative) processes are not geared towards planning and building cycle paths across municipal boundaries. How the associated obstacles can be addressed was the subject of an intensive exchange with those responsible for cycling infrastructure expansion in the city, municipalities, the district and the state of Hesse. The project organized several network meetings in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district to strengthen cooperation between municipalities. The district will continue the network activities on its own after the end of the project. The state of Hesse has announced funding for bicycle traffic coordination.

Conventional Pedelecs are motor-assisted up to 25 km/h and are considered normal bicycles. You are allowed to use the cycling infrastructure. This initially also applies to DaVe.

DaVe is particularly attractive for commuters within a radius of 15-20 km (and more) if the electric motor supports a speed of up to 45 km/h. DaVe would then be a speed pedelec (S-Pedelec). However, they are currently not allowed to use the cycling facilities. So if there is a cycle path next to a country road, you have to drive motor vehicles on the road. This at least reduces the perceived safety on an S-Pedelec and inhibits its use. A legal analysis therefore shows under which conditions it is advisable to Opening cycling facilities for S-Pedelecs and how the state of Hesse can create the legal requirements for this.

Together with the Rhein-Main University of Applied Sciences, it is also planned to further investigate the use of S-Pedelecs for commuting to work and the associated safety aspects in a model project.