- Specialist electric mobility retailer, Pure Electric, announces the opening of eleven UK wide former Halfords plc ‘Cycle Republic’ stores earmarked for closure, securing 85 jobs
- Founded by entrepreneur and investor Adam Norris, Pure Electric made its name in electric scooters and is now moving to e-bikes and wider e-mobility
- Norris calls on the government to ‘get a move on’ with proposed legislation for E-Scooters, which are currently banned in the UK but legal in most other countries such as Germany and France
Pure Electric, the specialist electric mobility retailer formerly known as Pure Scooters, has announced its rapid retail expansion plans for 2020.
The company was looking at four key locations across the UK, but now has a fantastic opportunity to accelerate its growth by taking over eleven of Halfords plc’s Cycle Republic stores earmarked for closure, securing a total of 85 jobs.
Halfords plc made the announcement to colleagues at the eleven Cycle Republic stores on Monday, including the store on Lothian Road, informing them that their jobs would be safe and employment transferred to Pure Electric; all jobs at those stores will be retained.
The announcement bucks a high street trend of closures and marks the beginning of a transport revolution, says the company.
Last month, the Department for Transport (DfT) launched an open consultation in March 2020 entitled “Future of transport regulatory review” which calls for evidence on whether e-scooters and other micromobility vehicles should be permitted. The DfT stated that micromobility could “help us decarbonise transport and tackle congestion and air pollution, make travel more affordable and convenient.”
Launched fourteen months ago by entrepreneur and former Hargreaves Lansdown director, Adam Norris, Pure Electric has ‘a passion to make a real, meaningful positive impact on the way we all travel every day’.
Norris’ passion for game-changing technology is aiming to help tackle urban transport and climate problems by delivering fun, affordable and practical mobility solutions.
The company has recently diversified into e-bikes, stocking the iconic Brompton Electric with a broader e-bike range planned when stores open. In 2018 in the Netherlands, e-bikes outsold regular bicycles equating to €823m of €1.2bn in bicycle sales in 2018. In a similar trend in Germany in 2018, e-bikes outsold electric cars.
Last year, Deloitte predicted that 130 million e-bikes are to be sold globally between 2020 and 2023. It also noted that “the number of e-bikes on the roads will easily outpace other e-vehicles by the end of next year.”
The 11 Pure Electric branded stores are due to open by early summer 2020, subject to government lockdown restrictions.
Pure Electric stocks market-leading ranges of electric scooters, electric bikes and accessories and is calling on Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, to accelerate legalisation on electric scooters.
Electric scooters are becoming hugely popular in the UK but are only allowed to be ridden on private roads with the landowner’s permission, because of the archaic 1835 Highway Act, despite being legal in most other countries.
The company recently launched a petition, already gathering 3,000 signatures, calling on the Government to get a move on with proposed legislation to bring the UK up to speed on electric scooters.
Adam Norris, Founder of Pure Electric, said: “The world of mobility is moving incredibly fast and we’re absolutely committed to being at the forefront of this exciting sector by opening prime city-centre locations.
“Our products have the potential to have a huge positive impact on our transport system. Recently, we’ve seen the role that e-scooters and bicycles have had in providing transport to key workers across the UK, helping them avoid public transport where risk of transmission is much higher.
“We need to look hard at the future of our transport system and COVID-19 has accelerated the scrutiny of the status quo. Last week, in a YouGov study, just 9% want a complete to return to normal and 51% have noticed cleaner air. The time for change is now.”
He added: “A staggering 24% of all trips by car in the UK are under one mile and it’s these short journeys which can be swapped out by e-scooter or e-bike, with monumental impacts to congestion and air quality; travelling by these methods is fun too.
“The government needs to work fast to provide these future options, especially as we come out of the current lockdown restrictions. Public transport isn’t the safest option in terms of transmission, so we should be urgently looking at other options, without adding to air pollution.”
Norris concluded: “Our new stores show our vision and the market potential to not only transform the way people move, but the way people try and buy e-scooters and e-bikes. We can’t wait to serve customers a bigger range and offer free e-bike test rides.
“Every store will have a fully equipped workshop for servicing and repairs providing a first class service for commuters. We’re delighted that in the process of our expansion, we’ve been able to secure 85 colleague jobs from Halfords plc, and look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the Pure Electric team. We thank Graham Stapleton (CEO Halfords plc,) and the team at Halfords plc for their collaborative approach.”
Peter Kimberley, (previously MD of Cycle Republic and Tredz Bikes), now Pure Electric International Managing Director, said: “I know these fantastic high street sites well and I’m looking forward to bringing the Pure Electric brand from online to major cities across the UK, opening up new personal services including test rides to commuters and everybody who is interested in changing the way they move.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time for the world of e-bikes, e-scooters and mobility solutions. Personally, I’m really delighted to be able to bring along some great colleagues from Cycle Republic into the Pure Electric family. We can’t wait to open our doors and start serving the needs of customers across the UK.”
For more information, please visit www.pureelectric.com
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