Berlin-based urban mobility startup ONO raises €3 million to put e-cargo bikes in European cities

EIT Innoenergy has committed a €3 million investment into Berlin-based urban mobility startup ONO, which will receive the funding over the next two years in preparation for a Europe-wide launch that’s set for 2022.

The German company is rolling out its Pedal Assisted Transporter (PAT) Pioneers Edition, an electric vehicle that “combines the flexibility of a bicycle, with the capacity and durability of a transport van”. The e-cargo bike has a modular design, making it easy to transport various goods (just over 2 cubic metres worth) throughout a city in an emission-free way. ONO’s co-founder and head of design, Murat Günak, is a former head of design at Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen. “I’ve long been interested in breaking free from the form factors that are predominant in personal transport,” he says. “We have come up with a one of a kind vehicle that is very much in line with modern urban life and the sustainable attitudes of companies and consumers around the world.” The initial rollout will focus on the CEP (Courier, Express, and Parcel) market, targeting last mile delivery needs and including a pilot with Hermes. For now, the ONO PAT is set to launch this fall in Berlin, Munich, Leipzig and Langeoog, an island off the northwest coast of Germany. By 2025, the startup hopes to have 14,000 vehicles on the road in over 60 cities.