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The UK National Trust has switched on to e-bikes
Charged up to protect heritage

The UK National Trust has switched on to e-bikes as part of a campaign to reduce the climate impact of managing its stately homes, parks and trails.

Bike firm Raleigh has donated a range of cargo bikes, e-bikes and electric mountain bikes for the Trust.

The e-cargo bikes will be used by staff to transport goods and equipment around the estates while the standard bikes will be used for maintenance, inspection and routine travel.

The bikes will initially be used in a three-month trial at 11 properties.

Rob Rhodes, head of countryside management and rangers at the National Trust said: “The climate crisis is one of the biggest threats facing nature and heritage and reducing our own carbon footprint is a key part of how we plan to tackle it.

"As well as being a carbon-friendly means of travel, we’re hoping the e-bikes will become a talking point, giving staff an opportunity to speak with visitors about how climate change is affecting our places, and what we’re doing about it.

"Our staff and volunteers are enjoying riding the e-bikes and we have already seen a reduction in vehicle mileage and therefore a carbon saving.

"It’s exciting to be harnessing the latest in low carbon technology to keep our places moving.”

The National Trust has also been trialling e-bike hire on some of its trails in steeper parts of the country.

And it has committed to planting an additional 10 million trees.

Edward Pegram, Commercial Partnership Manager for Raleigh said: “An electric bike is a fun, modern solution for the National Trust to use instead of diesel-powered quad bikes, trucks and vans.

"Whether it’s an e-bike for staff to use to get from a visitor centre to a stately home quickly and quietly, or one of our business cargo e-bikes to transport supplies for the shop, we’re committed to helping the National Trust achieve a more environmentally friendly future”.

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