- 01/12/2024

Ecological alternatives for your travel: from electric bikes to shared mobility

2 min

Be aware: borrowing money also costs money.

Electric bikes, shared cars, scooters and other vehicles are increasingly present on our streets. They contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, parking problems and traffic jams in cities. Soft mobility solutions are better for the environment, but are they also financially interesting?

How to finance your (electric) bike?

A bike is good for your health and the environment. It can even save you time, especially in cities. It's no surprise that (electric) bikes are on the rise. However, the price remains a significant obstacle for many. For a decent electric bike, you need several thousand euros. But that shouldn't stop you. Several financing options are available.

• BNP Paribas Fortis offers  an interesting instalment loan for bikes and soft mobility*.
• You may be able to get a bike through leasing through your employer. The formula is booming. In 2022 alone, our mobility partner Arval delivered 1,577 bikes.
• More employers are paying a bike allowance to their employees who commute to work by bike.
• Also, more are allowing their employees to exchange their company car for a mobility budget. This budget can be spent freely on more sustainable transport solutions, such as a bike. You can then use it to pay the monthly repayment or the total purchase price. All other bike-related costs (maintenance, repairs, accessories, insurance...) can also be financed with your mobility budget.
• Bike sellers accept eco-vouchers for the payment of both the bike and accessories.

A good tip: check if your municipality, province or region is offering a premium for the purchase of an electric bike. The amount is usually between 25 and 250 euros and can even reach up to 1,250 euros if you say goodbye to your car. Find out more at your municipality.

Soft mobility: from electric scooters to hoverboards

Sustainable mobility can also take other forms than cycling. All soft transport modes that respect the environment are part of soft mobility. Think, for example, of scooters, gyro wheels, gyroscopes or hoverboards. They are designed to allow you to move at a relatively low speed over short distances. Their range being limited, they are particularly suitable for cities. Workers, students, commuters or city dwellers are using them more and more to avoid losing time in traffic jams.

Are you considering investing in a soft transport mode? Think carefully before doing so. There are many elements to consider: format, your driving skills, battery autonomy and charging time, legal obligations, and additional costs. Get informed before taking the plunge..

• For financing, you can opt for BNP Paribas Fortis' interesting instalment loan for bikes and soft mobility*.
• Do you have a mobility budget or receive eco-vouchers from your employer? You can use them to finance any soft transport mode.

Bikes and soft mobility: What insurance do you need?

An expensive bike attracts thieves. A good lock is the best protection, but it's not foolproof. That's why an omnium insurance covering theft can be very useful. The most sensible thing to do is to take out a combined insurance for all risks.  AG's Top Bike insurance combines three guarantees: an omnium insurance covering material damage and theft, a coverage guarantee and a breakdown assistance. You can also take out a Top Bike contract for your ecological transport modes, such as scooters, gyroscopes or gyro wheels.

If, as a cyclist or soft transport user, you are responsible for damage caused to third parties in an accident, your family insurance may intervene. Such liability insurance is not mandatory for cyclists, but it is strongly recommended.

Do you have several vehicles in addition to your bike? With Touring Move On breakdown assistance, one assistance insurance is enough for all your vehicles in Belgium and/or Europe: car, scooter, motorcycle, bike (electric), scooter. You can easily take out a contract via Easy Banking App or Easy Banking Web.

Buy or share?

Shared cars, scooters and bikes are becoming increasingly common in large cities. They are an ecological and economic alternative to buying and are therefore becoming more and more popular. Shared mobility help reduce CO2 emissions and parking problems in urban centres. Shared vehicles are also more often electric and therefore more environmentally friendly. In practice, there are two systems.

• In a "station-based" system, you must return the vehicle to a fixed location after use.
• In a "free floating" system, an app shows you where to pick up a vehicle. After use, you can leave it wherever you want.

Shared mobility is not only better for the environment, but the user also benefits from several (financial) advantages:

• You don't have to invest in buying your own car and only pay for your use of a vehicle, per minute or per kilometre (or a combination of both).
• You don't have to worry about financing, insuring or maintaining the vehicle. All costs are included in the per-kilometre or per-minute rate.
• If you drive less than 10,000 kilometres per year, car sharing is more economical than an individual car.
• You can choose the vehicle that best suits each trip.
• You can avoid traffic jams by opting for a shared scooter or bike.
• In cities, shared mobility offers effective and affordable solutions while being environmentally friendly.

Mobility as a service

Shared mobility offers transport per kilometre or per minute. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) goes further. New players are offering integrated apps that allow you to combine public transport and shared mobility to get from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. BNP Paribas Fortis is also investing in this innovative and sustainable concept through the Ghent-based start-up Optimile. In 2022, we increased our participation to 75%. Optimile's MaaS solutions allow users to plan, book and pay for trips including different types of transport: train, bus, tram, shared cars, scooters and bikes, and taxis. The necessary recharges and parking are also included in the app.

Interested in the mobility of tomorrow? BNP Paribas Fortis offers solutions to finance and insure your sustainable mobility.

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Legal Information 

* Subject to acceptance of your application

Form of credit: The provisions relating to consumer credit as set out in Chapter 1, Title 4, Book VII of the Belgian Code of Economic Law apply. Subject to acceptance of your application by AlphaCredit SA/nv, lender, Montagne du Parc/Warandeberg 8/C, B-1000 Brussels, RPM Brussels, VAT BE0445.781.316. BNP Paribas Fortis SA/nv, Montagne du Parc/Warandeberg 3, B-1000 Brussels – Brussels Register of Companies – VAT BE 0403.199.702.

AG SA, bd É. Jacqmain 53, 1000 Brussels – RPM Brussels – VAT BE 0404.494.849 – www.aginsurance.be – info@aginsurance.be – Belgian insurance company approved under code 0079, under the supervision of the National Bank of Belgium, bd de Berlaimont 14, 1000 Brussels.

Intermediary: BNP Paribas Fortis SA, Montagne du Parc 3, 1000 Brussels – RPM Brussels – VAT BE 0403.199.702, is registered under this company number with the FSMA, rue du Congrès 12-14, 1000 Brussels, and acts as a tied insurance agent, remunerated by commissions, for AG SA. BNP Paribas Fortis SA holds a participation of more than 10% in AG SA.

Optimile, Sassevaartstraat 64 bus 204, 9000 Ghent – RPM Ghent – VAT BE 648.837.849 - BNP Paribas Fortis SA holds a participation of more than 10% in Optimile.