Electric vehicle start-up opens flagship Bristol store
An electric vehicle (EV) retailer has opened its first store in the centre of Bristol, following a funding package from Lloyds Bank.
EcoMove, which was founded in June 2019 and distributes electric mopeds, bikes and scooters, last week opened the doors to its flagship store on Hotwell Road in Bristol. The launch was made possible following funding from Lloyds Bank via the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS).
The launch event was attended by the Lord Mayor of the West of England, Tim Bowles. The business also commissioned a mural for the launch by Jody Thomas, a Bristol based artist who began painting at the now infamous Barton Hill Youth Club in Bristol alongside Banksy.
Co-founder John Dorman says the number of enquiries about its e-mopeds, e-bikes and e-scooters has quadrupled since the business launched and he plans to create more jobs in the area having already doubled the team since exiting from lockdown.
EcoMove already sells to the general public via its website and partnerships with various South West businesses. Its new flagship store has an indoor test track for people to come and try before they buy.
Depending on the model, the scooters have a range of up to 80 miles, can achieve speeds of up to 48mph and the removable battery can be recharged overnight using a normal household plug socket. All models cost less than 1p/mile to run and have zero carbon emissions.
The business is looking to partner with Bristol City Council to trial a city-wide app-based EV Share Scheme, piloting a trial of e-scooters over the next few months. Such schemes are already in operation in many cities around Europe and the USA and, if the trial is successful, the e-mopeds could then be rolled out across the country.
EcoMove also partners with many businesses across the South West who are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and works with networking groups like The Future Economy as part of a mutual effort to improve air quality and ease congestion in local towns and cities.
John Dorman, co-founder at EcoMove, said: “At the start of March, it looked like lockdown might derail our plans, but with the Bank’s support we were able to stay on track.
“It’s more important than ever to prioritise our sustainability goals as we emerge from the pandemic, and do our part to protect the environment, which is the reason we started the business in the first place.
“E-mopeds can play a crucial part in tackling pollution in city centres, and taking just one car off the road means taking up to six tons of carbon out of the atmosphere. Now that public transport has been affected by social distancing measures, it’s more important than ever that people have sustainable alternatives that keep them on the move. We are always looking to help business and would welcome a conversation with anyone to talk through how we can help them become Carbon Neutral.”
Richard Stoneham, area manager at Lloyds Bank Business Banking, added: “EcoMove offers a really exciting, innovative product. It’s so encouraging to see that they have been able to survive lockdown and thrive as we begin to get out and about again, as evidenced by such an increase in enquiries.
“At Lloyds Banking Group we have set an ambitious goal of working with customers, the government and the market to help reduce the emissions we finance by more than 50% by 2030, supporting the UK’s ambition to be net zero by 2050. A key part of that will be creating green products and services to make it easier for our customers to invest in tackling climate change. We are also supporting businesses by financing their investments in the green economy.”