Berlin — UK-based shared transport operator Beryl and mechatronics specialist Brose show how sustainability works. Beryl now uses Brose's environmentally friendly Remanufacturing Drives made in Berlin. Just in time for the start of the cycling season, Brose delivered the largest order to date in the history of the pioneering program to the United Kingdom.
Beryl uses the remanufactured Drive CAlu motors for its city e-bike fleet. Certified to the international environmental standard ISO 14001, the company has a strong commitment to sustainable transportation and offers affordable bikes, e-bikes, e-cargo bikes as well as e-scooter sharing across England. Beryl manufactures exclusively in the UK and is certified as a B Corp by the global non-profit organization B Lab – recognised for meeting exceptional standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
CEO and co-founder Phil Ellis: "For companies like us, who's entire ethos and long-term strategy is underpinned by sustainability and carbon reduction, it's important to practice what you preach. We are working towards a Net Zero future by prioritising reduction projects and initiatives, an example being the Remanufacturing by Brose, and then, as a last resort, offsetting our carbon emissions. Doing so enables us to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and a circular economy to local authority clients and stakeholders as well as the people and communities that can use our services."
For Brose, the cooperation also represents a success in the fight for greater sustainability in the e-bike industry. The Berlin-based system manufacturer launched its Remanufacturing Program in 2021 and have continuously optimized it since the beginning. Reman Drives have been available on the market since August 2023. The process enables a saving of around 50 percent CO2 emissions per unit compared to production with new parts. Regarding the Beryl order, this amounts to 15.1 tons of CO2.
In Remanufacturing, parts recovered from warranty drives, which make up around 30 percent of the total drive weight, are intensively tested and cleaned before missing components are added and assembled into a reprocessed drive. This procedure has the added benefit of making the drive units significantly less expensive for customers. Nevertheless, they are in no way inferior to new products in terms of quality, which is why Brose offers a two-year warranty on its Reman Drives.
Dan Jeffris, Brose US and UK Key Account Manager: "Beryl's commitment to clean transportation and sustainability made them a perfect partner for Brose's Reman Project. When we approached them with the concept, they were immediately interested. After testing the drives and being convinced of their performance and reliability, Beryl began to successfully incorporate Reman Drives into their fleet. It's very exciting to partner with a company like Beryl that shares our vision of sustainability."
About Brose Drive Technology
Brose e-bike systems offer the right solution for every application – whether in city, trekking or mountain bikes. The family-owned company has transferred its decades of experience as a supplier of electric motors for the automotive industry to the bicycle. At the e-bike competence center in Berlin, more than 140 employees develop and produce drives that are used in models from over 30 manufacturers worldwide. Together with specially developed displays, battery and the Brose app, the drives form a perfectly coordinated system, enabling a particularly harmonious riding experience.
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The remanufactured version of an Brose E-Bike Aluminum Drive. The process has already been awarded 2nd place in the prestigious Enlighten Award. (Image copyright: Brose)
