Case study details

Service: Brighton & Hove City Council, City Parks 

Location: Hove Beach Park

Vehicle: Kleuster Pick‑Up 350, chainless flatbed e‑cargo trike

Trial duration: Free 3‑month pilot arranged by BHCC Transport Projects & Engineering

Team involved: Groundskeepers trained by Project Officer with support from manufacturer

The challenge

City Parks needed a practical, low‑carbon way to move tools and materials on and off site along the busy Hove seafront, especially when a fleet vehicle was off the road. 

Background

Our Transport Planner, Daniel Bianco, attended a Cargo Bike Convention and got a free 3 month trial of a Kleuster e‑cargo trike. Having seen the trike demonstrated at the International Cargo Bike Festival in October 2025 and from having discussions with Samuel Artus, Commercial Director at the Lyon‑based manufacturer, the 350-Pick-up trike was brought to Brighton & Hove.

The solution

City Parks groundskeepers at Hove Beach Park received training and now use the Kleuster Pick‑Up 350 for daily tasks. The same model is already deployed in parks and gardens maintenance in other European cities such as Paris.

What the trike does on site

The trike:

  • transports gardening tools quickly and safely on and off site, reducing time and effort for staff
  • supports litter picking and moving branches, leaves, paving slabs and materials across the park
  • acts as a reliable day‑to‑day work platform, it’s been particularly helpful since a fleet vehicle has been unavailable

The vehicle at a glance

The vehicle has the following:

  • platform: Chainless flatbed e‑cargo trike - Kleuster Pick‑Up 350
  • payload: Up to 150 kg
  • power: 2 switchable batteries, each offering up to 35km range
  • running costs: Easier and cheaper to run and maintain than electric or diesel vans, with the potential to save money, cut carbon emissions and improve air quality
The E-Cargo bike is parked on the verge of a road and a council worker is gardening behind it.

Staff feedback from the seafront

“When not working as part of the team, I’ve found the trike useful for when I’ve had to go off and do solo work! I’ve also found it very handy to put my tools and equipment in the back and moving around site safely and easily. It’s also fun to use and knowing that its good for the environment puts a smile on my face.”
- Ivor, Assistant Gardener

For the day‑to‑day users, the trike scores highly on:

  • stability and comfort when loaded or empty
  • all weather performance due to the hood and screen
  • safety, sturdiness and design
  • easy hop‑on and hop‑off with excellent range and battery life
  • fits the seaside park environment, often sparking curiosity and positive reactions from passers-by

Why it matters

“Making this happen has been a great example of teamwork across the council… My hope is that commercial cargo bikes like this will one day become part of our wider fleet, bringing operational efficiencies. Pilot trials like this demonstrate how versatile and adaptable these vehicles are… One of the best benefits is that they’re agile and don’t contribute to congestion or toxic emissions.”
- Daniel Bianco, Transport Planner
A council worker taking large tools out of an E-Cargo bike parked up alongside a building.

Outcomes so far

  • Operational resilience: kept tasks moving when a conventional vehicle was off the road
  • Productivity: enabled fast, flexible and safe movement of tools and materials across the park, including solo tasks
  • User acceptance: strong positive feedback from frontline staff using the bike almost daily
  • Sustainability: a practical step toward lower‑emission operations in city services

Next steps

We will:

  • provide feedback to Kleuster so the vehicle can be improved and tailored for future needs, Kleuster also produce trikes for other uses such as graffiti removal and rubbish collection
  • trial other cargo bikes, which are currently being organised

Partners involved and thanks to

We'd like to thank the following partners:

  • BHCC Transport Projects & Engineering - trial lead and training
  • City Parks team at Hove Beach Park - users
  • Parks and Leisure Operations Manager & Head of Parks and Leisure - enablers
  • Kleuster - Lyon‑based supplier and manufacturer and Commercial Director

What to do if you're interested in trialing an e‑cargo bike

This case study is part of the eCargo Bike Accelerator Project. 

You can learn more and see other examples on the case study page.