A Zygg delivery e-bike in use. (Courtesy Zygg Mobility Inc.)

Zygg Mobility Inc. is expanding into its second major Canadian market, with plans to provide 500 e-bikes for rent in Vancouver by this spring.

“Electric bikes are exploding in popularity, for good reason” Zygg CEO and co-founder Kevin McLaughlin said in the announcement. “They are as easy to ride as any bicycle, but their electric assist extends the reach for everyone. E-bikes truly are a car replacement for many trips across the Lower Mainland.”

The e-bikes will be serviced out of a shop at 397 Alexander Street in the Railtown neighbourhood. The company’s models for personal use can be rented for $49 per week or $99 per month.

Zygg has been operating in Toronto for the past two years.

Its e-bikes are available for personal riders, gig delivery riders, hotels and enterprise customers. There is a separate plan for customers intending to use the bikes for deliveries.

The company’s subscriptions come with free home delivery, next-day repairs and home ‘swaps,’ maintenance, an e-bike charger as well as theft and damage protection.

The e-bikes are only available to customers aged 21 years and older. Once ordered, they can be delivered to the customer’s home or picked up at the shop.

The Zygg e-bikes

There are three e-bike models available for personal use and three for deliveries.

For personal use, the model G weighs 45 lbs. with a range of 140 kms. The model A performs slightly better with a range of 150 kms., a maximum speed of 32 km/h and a charge time of four to five hours.

Coming in May, the model Qx promises a 55- to 70-kms. range, the same maximum speed as the model A and a charge time of three to four hours.

The delivery e-bikes – models Q1, Q2 and R – are sold out, according to the Zygg website, which promises more to come by mid-May. The Q1 costs $129 per month and the other two models cost $159 per month.

The Q1 is similar to the personal-use e-bikes, with a range between 40 and 60 kms., the same maximum speed and a charge time of six hours.

In contrast the Q2 has a longer range between 80 and 100 kms. The model R extends slightly further to 110 kms. and offers a shorter charge time of between three to four hours.

Zygg’s founding

Zygg was founded in June, 2020. McLaughlin is the founder or co-founder of three other companies and organizations.

He was a co-founder and director at Evergreen Canada, an environmental non-profit focusing on cities. Then he founded and acted as a director for B.C.-based car sharing company Modo.

Following that he was the founder and CEO of car-sharing company AutoShare, which in 2014 was sold to Enterprise Rent-A-Car Canada.