Shifting into Green Gear As London battles congestion and rising urban delivery costs, Vok Bikes is accelerating the transition from vans to cargo bikes, offering businesses a faster, greener, and more cost-effective solution for last-mile logistics.

London's streets are congested, and the costs of electric vans are climbing. In this exclusive Entrepreneur UK interview with Indrek Petjärv, CEO and co-founder of Vok Bikes, we explore how this innovative company is helping businesses make the leap from gas-guzzling vans to efficient, eco-friendly cargo bikes.

How does the Renault partnership transform Vok's presence in the UK and Europe in 2026?
The partnership with Renault Group's Refactory is a step-change for Vok's European footprint. By moving mass production to Flins, near Paris, we increase our production capacity tenfold and bring manufacturing much closer to Western European markets where demand is growing significantly – including the UK, France, and Benelux. This dramatically shortens lead times, reduces transport emissions, and allows us to deploy fleets much more quickly in cities such as London, Paris, Brussels, and Rome. In practical terms, it means Vok can scale at the pace the market demands and significantly strengthen our presence across the region.

Can Vok accelerate the shift from vans to cargo bikes in cities like London?
Absolutely, that is the mission. London is one of the cities where the shift is already happening fast. London is Europe's most congested city, and from 2026, even electric vans will be subject to the congestion charge. That fundamentally changes the economics of urban delivery. As Financial Times has recently highlighted, EV ownership is becoming financially unsustainable for many London drivers once you add up new taxes, congestion charges and rising charging costs. For the first time, electric cars and vans will be paying £13.50 a day just to access the city centre – on top of all the usual running costs Cargo bikes offer a way out of that trap. They are faster, cheaper and more flexible in dense areas, helping businesses avoid gridlock, rising fees and delivery delays. These new costs highlight a simple truth: electric cars and vans still carry the cost and congestion footprint of a car. Commercial cargo bikes don't. For thousands of London-based businesses, the wise response isn't going back to petrol or simply switching fuel types – it's switching vehicle categories entirely, to solutions that are actually designed for dense cities. Transport for London predicts that cargo bikes could replace 17% of van journeys by 2030, and we believe that figure can be even higher in the most congested districts. With our new production capacity and rapidly growing UK customer base, Vok is now positioned to accelerate that shift significantly. If EV cars and vans are becoming too expensive to operate in cities, commercial cargo bikes – like Vok, already adopted by hundreds of London businesses – are the logical next step, capable of replacing a large share of short-distance commercial trips.

When did you realise Vok had become a serious alternative to traditional urban delivery vans?
The realisation goes back to the very beginning of Vok. Before building cargo bikes, the three founders – all former Formula Student electric race car engineers – ran a product development and engineering agency focused on micromobility. Working closely with scooter fleet operators gave us a deep understanding of the realities of urban mobility and revealed a major gap: cities had plenty of transport options for people but almost none for businesses. Electric cars and vans were presented as the "sustainable" solution, yet they still suffered from congestion, traffic delays and high operating costs. They didn't solve the core issue. That insight pushed us to build the first Vok prototype – a vehicle designed from scratch for commercial operators. We launched pilots with two important early partners: a national postal service and an international food delivery company. It was during those pilots that the shift became undeniable. Vok outperformed vans in dense urban environments by 40–70% in delivery speed, was up to 60% more cost-efficient, and still provided the cargo capacity businesses needed. Operators told us they were completing more deliveries per hour, avoiding congestion, and cutting running costs dramatically. Today, Vok vehicles have ridden millions of kilometres across Europe's major cities, in every kind of weather and terrain. As time goes on, they continue to prove themselves across a growing range of use cases – from logistics and last-mile delivery to wholesalers, tradespeople, hospitality and campus operations. That real-world performance has made it clear: Vok isn't just an alternative to vans, but for many businesses, it's a fundamentally better tool for city logistics.

What sets Vok apart from other e-cargo bikes in terms of performance, safety, and ease of use?
Vok is not a modified consumer bike. It's a new vehicle category built from the ground up for commercial use. Our four-wheel platform delivers stability, large cargo capacity and automotive-grade durability. The in-wheel motors provide high-torque Four Wheel Drive with traction control, supported by an anti-lock braking system for safe operation in busy city conditions. Riders consistently tell us Vok vehicles are easier to operate than traditional cargo bikes, making the role accessible to more people – including those with no driver's licence or mobility concerns. For businesses, that translates to safer fleets, higher productivity and greater reliability.

How do Vok Bikes contribute to reducing carbon emissions and supporting the green economy in urban logistics?
Cargo bikes are among the most effective tools cities have to reduce urban emissions. By replacing vans – which are costly, congesting and still restricted even when electric – Vok removes polluting trips from dense city centres and helps operators avoid idling in traffic, access fees and time restrictions. Manufacturing closer to key markets through our French production line further reduces transport emissions. For businesses, this means meeting sustainability targets while lowering operational costs. For cities, it supports cleaner air, quieter streets and more efficient use of urban space.

With cities targeting fewer vans on the road, how can Vok help businesses meet sustainability goals while maintaining efficiency?
Vok helps businesses reduce emissions without compromising delivery speed or capacity. Our vehicles bypass congestion using cycling infrastructure, avoid rising van-related charges, and allow operators to complete more deliveries per hour in dense areas. Because they require no licence in many markets and offer a stable, easy-to-use platform, companies can onboard riders faster and keep fleets running more consistently. For many operators – from major logistics firms to small local businesses – Vok has become a practical, scalable way to meet sustainability commitments while improving day-to-day efficiency.