An exciting e-bike pilot project has been launched in Sandyford Business District, Dublin.

Led by ESB and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, this scheme will allow users to rent a bike for a short period using a Smart Phone App.

Welcoming the pilot project, An Cathaoirleach, Councillor Mary Hanafin said: "This pilot ebike scheme will give people the opportunity to travel around the county in a different way with many users trying an electric bike for the first time. I am sure the bikes will prove to be popular with people who live and work around the County as well as the many visitors who are looking to be active as they explore."

The pilot programme will run for a 10-month period and include 112 bikes with 14 e-charging stations in some of Dublin's busiest commuter locations across the four Dublin Local Authorities with two locations in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council; on Three Rock Road in the Sandyford Business District and on Crofton Road in Dún Laoghaire behind the Dart station. Bleeper and Moby Bike Share Operators will maintain and operate the eBikes via their Apps with the charging infrastructure provided by ESB as part of their docking station.

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Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, commented: "This new ebike pilot gives residents and visitors more options for making shorter journeys by bike and this will contribute towards meeting our climate action goals of reducing air pollution, congestion and CO2 emissions whilst also developing a market for commercial shared e-mobility providers as well as improving the health and wellbeing of users."

As part of the pilot, Trinity College Dublin will analyse commuter behaviour in relation to e-mobility transference from private cars to a shared low-carbon travel solution and will identify key mobility patterns, calculate carbon savings, and evaluate commercial potential based on data collected from ESB eBikes.

Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director, Strategy, Innovation and Transformation at ESB, added: "A number of years ago, ESB established the X-Potential Incubator programme to develop innovative, sustainable and commercially viable business ideas. We are very proud today to unveil one such idea - our eBike pilot - which is a new concept in Ireland and was conceived and developed by X-Potential. Investing in low-carbon, sustainable mobility infrastructure for Ireland is a reflection of our commitment to leading the transition to a net zero energy future. With this project, we are delighted to be part of the broader Interreg North-West Europe eHUBS programme and that Dublin will now join other member cities, such as Amsterdam and Manchester."