“Thanks to my electric cargo bike, I lost more than 20 kg”

Do you live in the area of The Hague? Then you may have seen him cycle by; mechanic Youssef Amhaouch (29). He swapped his bus for an electric cargo bike six months ago. Quite a few kilometers further and a few impressive kilos lighter, Youssef is now a big fan of his new means of transport. “It's the best job choice I've made.”

Why did you go cycling?

“I heard some really good stories from a number of other engineers. What mainly appealed to me was that you were scheduled close to home. I decided to try it. It took some getting used to at first. I sometimes forgot that I took up more space on the road than on a normal bike. But soon I started seeing the benefits. For example, all my stuff fits easily in the bin. I even have space for some groceries. haha.”

What makes cycling so great for you?

“The biggest advantage of the electric bike is that I feel much better about myself. I lost more than 20 kg and I'm really happy about that. I have become much more aware of my body, but also about the environment. Before that, I wasn't really into that. For example, I also want to exchange the bus, which I still use sometimes on very rainy days, for an electric variant. It's important to take good care of the environment.”

How do customers or people on the street react to you?

“In fact, I only get nice reactions! Some customers even come out to admire my bike. I once had an enthusiastic customer ride my bike for a spin. haha. Especially customers who are very environmentally aware really appreciate this initiative. In recent months, my Star rating has therefore been a lot higher. I don't know if it's my electric bike. But that could well be! By the way, I don't just see the enthusiasm among customers. People on the street also speak to me regularly. They are often amazed and curious. I'll then explain to them that such a cargo bike actually has nothing but advantages.”

Why do you recommend that other mechanics also take the bike?

“Besides being able to get anywhere - especially in the city - more easily, it's incredibly good for your health and the environment. But I get that, as a mechanic, you think it; see first, then believe. So I would especially recommend trying it for a month. I'm sure you'll never want anything else. At least not me!”

‍