Renault Trucks has joined forces with Kleuster, a Lyon-based electric cargo bike manufacturer, to assemble and distribute Freegones e-cargo bikes.
The cargo bikes will be assembled at Renault Trucks’ Vénissieux site and distributed through its European dealer network. In creating the partnership, Renault Trucks offers an electric product in every commercial vehicle space, from 44-tonne trucks to last-mile urban delivery vehicles.
Using the truck manufacturer’s distributors in several European countries allows Kleuster
to take full advantage of a dense and local network to guarantee top-notch sales and after-sales services. Renault Trucks, for its part, adds another string to its bow and opens up to potential new clients by covering the entire logistics chain — Freegones take over where trucks stop.
Built on a single-body chassis, Freegones is the only cargo bike on the market that offers five modules — dry box, refrigerated box, food service, flat bin, and refuse skip.
While the Freegones dry box has unmatched carrying capacity (350kg payload and 2m3 of useful volume), the refrigerated box is the only e-cargo bike to offer ATP-approved temperature control ranging from -25°C to +4°C. The refuse skip is the only e-cargo bike that can automatically unload into a tipper truck or container in under 20 seconds.
This flexibility makes the Freegones ideal for several uses, from collecting or delivering packages or groceries and courier services to waste collection and green space maintenance.
Cycle lanes, pedestrian zones, and LEZs are accessible by the Freegones, with its compact dimensions and agility meaning it can get as close as possible to delivery sites and customers. A 50-mile range makes the e-cargo bike more productive and cost-effective than a utility vehicle.
Nearly 200 Freegones are pedalling all over France, some for more than seven years — a testament to its reliability and durability.
By joining forces, Renault Trucks shares its expertise, infrastructure and production capacity with Kleuster. Renault Trucks has already established a production team of around a dozen people to meet increasing demand, quickly improving production capacity fivefold. This partnership reflects Renault Trucks’ desire to strengthen its positioning in urban logistics and prepare its plants to take on new future-looking activities.
With the expansion of low-emission zones (LEZ), booming demand for last-mile deliveries, and increased environmental awareness, agile and decarbonised transport is the future in urban areas.
“E-cargo bikes can be a great option for customers in urban environments that need to access zero emissions zones. Through this partnership with Kleuster, Renault Trucks is differentiating itself and taking the lead in offering even better solutions to our current and future clients,” says Bruno Blin, president of Renault Trucks.
“Renault Trucks is the ideal partner to support Kleuster’s growth,” adds Gérard Têtu, founder and CEO of Kleuster. “The two companies are both committed to providing the best possible urban mobility solutions in very densely populated environments. Joining forces with Renault Trucks benefits both our companies and contributes to environmental targets while also meeting the needs of our current and prospective customers.”
The Renault Trucks-built Kleuster Freegones e-cargo bikes are now being sold through the manufacturer’s French network, expanding into its European network in 2023.
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