Ex-Dyson and Pure Electric designer Bernard joins EAV

Sam Bernard has joined cargo bike business EAV as its new Director of Engineering, as well as taking up a seat on the board

Bernard has enjoyed a career as a product developer, having previously spent more than four years developing the hair care segment of Dyson’s global business before more recently taking up a challenge with micromobility retailer Pure Electric as the firm’s Chief Technology Officer.

EAV’s 2Cubed 4-wheeled cargo bike is becoming increasingly visible on the UK’s streets. The vehicle is desogned to have next to zero emissions, be safer and more responsible for use in pedestrian areas, and make its deliveries with much lower costs to businesses than traditional vehicles. EAV says a cargo bike is competitive against even EV vans on cost per mile, per charge and the upfront purchase.

Bernard will be working with EAV to refine its range of heavy-duty cargo bikes, which most recently have been seen with parcel giant EVRI’s branding on the side of the cargo box. As larger clients buy into operating fleets of the British-designed four-wheelers, as before, Bernard’s job will be to listen to feedback from regular users and adapt the design to cope with the often rough use that delivery vehicles absorb for hours on end. Aside from these refinements, he has also identified methods to streamline production and add functionality.

Now several months into the role, Bernard says of his initial period in charge of refining the design of the 2Cubed vehicle: “I am very pleased to have recently had the opportunity to join EAV as Director of Engineering and as a board member. I am passionate about the changing transport systems that we see in cities, the speed of evolution is incredibly fast and EAV is at the forefront of this. Whilst no one at the moment can predict the vehicles which will be the fittest and survive in ten years time I am sure that two-ton vans delivering 50-gram letters, pumping out poisons and loudly heating the atmosphere are not the answer.

“Already the electric cargo bike market has grown very steadily from a small base. The reality is that if each city has 10,000 vans operational at present we could and should make small steps, backed by the Government to replace those with the right vehicles. EAV is investing heavily in such a vehicle so that in ten years’ time no city will look as it does now.”