Tue 15 Aug
About NS
As the largest mobility company in the Netherlands, NS understands how important mobility is. To make it even easier for travelers to move from door to door, NS collaborates with various partners. Noord is one of these partners closely involved in organizing the trial with the electric public transport bicycle: the OV-ebike.
NS’s Challenge
Every year, more than 5 million rides are taken on the OV-fiets, a service that NS has provided since 2008 to simplify door-to-door travel for passengers. To offer travelers the option to cover larger distances quickly and easily from the station, NS decided to trial an electric version of the OV-fiets. For this project, NS sought an e-mobility partner with market knowledge to set up a year-long trial. After evaluating various parties, Noord emerged as the winner.
Collaboration
Outsourcing maintenance and providing customized solutions were important elements for NS in the collaboration. Edward Douma, Format Manager OV-ebike, mentioned: “We wanted to quickly set up a pilot with a proven product and technology, where maintenance of a product new to us is taken care of. This allows us to fully focus on passengers’ needs and gain as much experience as possible from the trial. Noord enables this division of roles by providing a good bicycle. And by ensuring the bicycles are and remain in good condition in the background, they fully support us.”
Special Data Dashboard
In addition to the recognizable blue and yellow livery that adorns the OV-ebike, Noord also developed a specialized data dashboard for NS. This allows NS to have insight into OV-ebike usage, enabling a better response to passengers’ needs. Edward added: “Noord is a partner that considers possibilities and limitations with us and provides room for customization. The collaboration is going very well due to the enthusiasm and knowledge we share.”
The responses to the initial trials are very positive. Edward Douma mentioned: “Passengers find the OV-ebike pleasant to ride, and they are very satisfied with the pedal assistance and the distance they can cover.”
Future Plans
The trial was launched at Driebergen-Zeist station and has recently expanded to Arnhem Central station and Groningen station. The fourth location will follow in January 2023. “We look forward to a successful collaboration throughout the remainder of the trial, during which we will continue to learn under which conditions NS can integrate the OV-ebike into the door-to-door services,” said Edward Douma.
