2023-12-19 10:10:35
By making bicycles available to employees who wish them, certain companies are responding to an ever-increasing demand, while greening their image.
«It’s very useful. I arrive with my own bike on Monday morning, in the evening I take the electric one provided by my company, I keep it all week and then on Friday evening I leave with mine, using only the strength of my legs this time. times», says Thibaut amusedly. This employee of a large construction company based in western Paris has been repeating this pattern week after week for almost a year. Swapping your classic bike for an electrically assisted one saves you a little time but above all a lot of comfort. “I arrive at the office without being tired and above all without having sweated“, he explains. If the bike is not assigned to him directly, he can reserve it “very in advance» over fairly wide periods of time. And this for free.
«I use it every day, even when I’m in a suit», exclaims Loïc Delannoy, employee at Crédit Agricole Centre-Est. Since he arrived at the company, the man has never parted with his electric bike. “I was able to benefit from a new model free of charge for a year. It was a good way to try my hand at this practice.», says this executive. Once the trial period came to an end, Loïc Delannoy decided to purchase the device, at a 40% discount. “I see a lot of beneficial effects: my travel times are more reliable, it allows me to exercise and to have a real mental decompression chamber before and after work to get on with my current files. and get out», Explains the cyclist.
Also read: How the ADP group wants to encourage the use of bicycles to access Paris-Orly airport
An ever stronger demand
By making bicycles available to its employees from 2017, Crédit Agricole Centre-Est is one of the precursors of this trend in France. Recently, the bank expanded its fleet by increasing the number of devices from 10 to 25, to which were added 7 service bikes. Demand is growing even faster. “Following a call for applications in July, we received 100 applications in 2023, and we wish to increase our offer accordingly», Indicates Aurélie Bellemin, press relations manager for the regional fund. “These are good quality electric bikes, worth around 3000 euros», she explains.
Several criteria were used to select employees who can benefit from it for the moment: living less than 11 kilometers from the workplace, and taking a route that offers safety guarantees, for example cycle paths. The company also tries to respect parity during allocation. The expansion of the fleet is accompanied by the creation of new infrastructures. Bicycle parking and changing rooms with shower and locker were therefore built at the Champagne-au-Mont-d’Or head office. “We have also established a partnership with an association, which comes on site to learn how to properly maintain their bike.», agrees the press relations manager.
A few hundred kilometers from the Lyon suburbs, Stéphane Kolb took care of setting up a similar system at the Banque Populaire de Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The establishment called on Bee.Cycle to supply and deliver the bicycles directly assembled to no less than 200 agencies. “Out of a total of 2,000 employees in the region, between 260 and 280 benefit from it», Specifies the deputy general director of the bank in New Aquitaine. Here too, the change in mobility involves building new spaces to park devices. The only condition to access the offer is to cycle to work at least twice a week. The service is available in addition to the benefits granted for public transport, but employees must pay 30% of the price of the bicycle rental. “Employees choose the model of their choice directly from the catalog», explains Stéphane Kolb. The average price fluctuates between 3000 to 3500€.
Read alsoA simulator to calculate the amount of aid for the purchase of an electric bike
A helping hand from the state
Jean-Christophe Melaye created Bee.Cycle in May 2019. His company offers businesses tailor-made service bikes and shared bikes based on their size, throughout France. “We have adapted the model of the car to the bike, it is leasing with associated service», summarizes the manager. Depending on the customers, demand varies from one to several hundred devices. Four and a half years later, the entrepreneur noted that “everyone is starting to be interested in it, it’s even difficult to determine a target. Cycling is becoming attractive, companies have understood that simple purchasing assistance is not enough, they are opening the floodgates “, he says. 10 to 20,000 company bicycles would be in circulation today in France.
Azfalte, Tandem, Zenride… competition is strengthening in a market “which makes x2 every year», according to Olivier Issaly, president of the Federation of Corporate Cycling Actors (FAVE). This association was born in 2023 with the aim of developing the practice. “Coming to work by bike is the model that most encourages people to change their mode of transport», Says the man who is also at the head of Zenride. Since the 2018 bicycle plan, companies can benefit from a tax reduction corresponding to 25% of the rental price of bicycles. As a general rule, companies charge the employee around 30% of the rental price, and cover the remaining 70%, all for a period of three years. “For the company, it is no more expensive than a parking space, and it compensates for the increase in gasoline.e,” observes Jean-Christophe Melaye. Some companies are also taking up cycling to meet their CSR objectives, which notably include environmental impact. Finally, the issue is also economic. “Rather than increasing salaries, which is very expensive, some companies prefer to offer a bicycle as a means of transport», Adds the boss of Bee.Cycle.
Read alsoWhy 2024 will be a good year in terms of recruitment
A recruitment argument
When she applied to become human resources manager for the Nemea student residence group last January, Tatiana Hamon was immediately attracted by their bicycle offering. “It demonstrated concern for the well-being of employees.“, she remembers. In the summer of 2022, the company based in Mérignac in Gironde therefore offered electric bikes to all employees. Three models – city, all-terrain and foldable – worth between €2,000 and €2,500 are available free of charge for a period of three years. At the end of this period, the person who has benefited from the service can repurchase the device for a modest sum of around €200. The service also includes insurance and annual maintenance at the Nemea site.
Of the 90 people who work at the company’s headquarters, 25 have ridden a bike. “It’s an offer that appeals to employees and candidates, just like our gym or our sports coach.», observes Tatiana Hamon. And the one who still took public transport to get to her old job will no longer give up her bike. “I take it every day to go to the office, if you knew the pleasure it is to overtake stationary cars in a traffic jam. Like Loïc Delannoy, Tatiana Hamon appreciates being able to immerse herself and mentally extract herself from her working day. “It’s a sacrifice to have to take the car now», assures the young woman.
Read also Bicycle plan: the government announces an investment of 2 billion euros by 2027
Efforts still insufficient
Although the 25% tax deduction is welcomed by professionals in the sector, it still remains insufficient for them. “It deserves to be at 50», Proclaims Jean-François Dhinaux, president of Azfalte and secretary of FAVE. In Germany, it is 35 to 40%. “Only 3% of city trips are made by bike today», he regrets. Here too, the figures are better across the Rhine, with a threshold of 12%, which is what France must reach by 2030 as part of the bicycle plan. And the issue is national: “since the start of the year, 80% of commissionings have been outside Paris and the ten largest cities», recalls Olivier Issaly.
#corporate #electric #bike #gaining #fans