Cargobike of the Year 2023: Award kicks off at EUROBIKE and IAA

Cargo bikes in commercial use are experiencing a continuous boom, with manufacturers making significant leaps in technology and industrialization. This is recognized by the annual award presented since 2019 for the "International Cargobike of the Year" (CABOTY), with a two-stage process introduced for the first time. The initiators are responding to the significantly broader range of offerings in the industry and aim to represent as wide a spectrum of commercial cargo bikes as possible. The kickoff will be the "CABOTY Test Days," scheduled within the framework of the industry showcase EUROBIKE in Frankfurt and the theme day "Cargo Academy" on Thursday, June 22, 2023, during which an interim review is planned. The CABOTY finale and the formal award ceremony to the winners will then take place at IAA MOBILITY in Munich (Sept. 5 to 10). Last year, the award had already aligned with IAA TRANSPORTATION, the world's most important stage for commercial vehicles. The presence at leading trade fairs is also intended to underscore that the niche topic has arrived in the mainstream of logistics.

"Cargo bikes, especially in logistics, can be a key element for greater sustainability and more space and energy efficiency in city deliveries. Combined wisely, they are the ultimate means of transport to square the circle: linking the higher shipment volumes driven by the ongoing e-commerce boom with fewer emissions and significantly advancing climate protection in logistics," explains LOGISTRA Test+Technology Section Head and CABOTY initiator Johannes Reichel.

The competition, now in its fourth iteration, has established itself in the market as a platform for the innovations of the young but experimental cargo bike industry. "Not only in private use but also in commercial applications, e-cargo bikes are seen by many experts as having great potential. In conjunction with micro depots and e-trucks in the lead-up, they could become a game-changer in urban logistics. We aim to honor this important trend for climate protection and the traffic transition with our award and thereby recognize the manufacturers' innovative spirit," explains HUSS-VERLAG Managing Director Rainer Langhammer.

Three categories in competition

The cargo bike award will again be presented in three categories: Light, Heavy, and Trailer. This aims to account for different applications. The candidate list for the award is now open, and the application process via online form is simple. On-site in Frankfurt and Munich, the jury will check the candidate bikes through a testing procedure and evaluate their practicality based on a criteria catalog. The panel consists, in addition to initiator Reichel, of practitioners such as bike logistician and RLVD board member Thomas Schmitz from the company Radlader in Mainz, RLVD board member Martin Schmidt from the company Cycle Logistics in Berlin, bike courier and bike logistics consultant Aline Künzler from velogisch in Zurich, and lecturer in Engineering and Product Design Satish Kumar Beella from The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

Applications can be easily submitted online here!