Children are dropped off at school by OuiCycle, a unique electric bicycle bus equipped with two seats in front for adults and eight seats in the back for children, all with seat belts. The vehicle was purchased by the city of Saint-Georges-d'Orques from France Quadricycle, a company based in the area.
The city then delegated management to Maestro, an association working to improve the well-being and community life of Saint-Georges-d'Orques residents through culture and sports, which had suggested using this multi-purpose bike bus.
Prioritizing bicycles on its roads, the city has no regrets about its decision. “The bike bus has been a huge success,” highlights Mayor Jean-François Audrin. Métropole de Montpellier, of which he is vice president, also made the decision to purchase a OuiCycle.
Since then, 46 children in Saint-Georges d'Orques have been riding to school every morning on the bike bus. “This means 30 fewer cars outside the school in the morning,“ says Medhi Khouda, president of Maestro, adding: “And on Saturday mornings, we use it to take senior citizens to the market.”
This success also marks the very successful launch of France Quadricycle, a company founded in 2019, which chose to present its two new OuiCycle prototypes on March 27 at the Halle de l’Innovation, the showcase for Montpellier BIC, where it is incubated.
The company's multi-seat, modular bike bus is a technological masterpiece. Participatory and accessible, it is equipped with a 1,000-watt motor that allows it to climb hills and maintain an optimal speed. Almost entirely energy self-sufficient thanks to its solar panels and green electricity-generating pedals, the OuiCycle addresses all of the ecological challenges that are so important to Montpellier Métropole.
Winner of the 2023 ADEME Greentech Innovation competition and the Extrême Défi call for projects, also sponsored by ADEME, France Quadricycle, this time in a consortium with the Wimoov Occitanie association and the Barcelona-based company Lane Patrol, has been selected for the European Interreg POCTEFA AFLE program. Their transnational project consists of testing the OuiCycle in the towns of Elne (Pyrénées-Orientales) and Malgrat de Mar (Catalonia, Spain) for various uses, including school transport and tourist transportation. AD'OCC assists the company with its France-Spain pilot project to test the use of the OuiCycle in various situations.
“AD'OCC introduced us to each other. We would not be known without them. The agency found the cities where we could test our light vehicle. We participated in the most recent French Mayors Conference thanks to AD'OCC, and we will most likely participate in VivaTech with Occitanie Region and AD'OCC.” - Matthieu Spillmann
For this project, which has created four jobs, France Quadicycle will launch a pre-production run of 15 OuiCycle bikes in Saint-Georges-d'Orques, with 75% of the parts manufactured in Occitanie. Its Montpellier-based subcontractors include PDCA and Menuiserie Collaborative.
With support from the City of Montpellier and Montpellier Métropole via CCAS, MedVallée, Adages in Montpellier, and the Institut Saint-Pierre children's hospital in Palavas-les-Flots, France Quadricycle meets the expectations and needs of local authorities, families, and people with reduced mobility.
Delighted with the support provided to his company, Matthieu Spillmann, CEO and founder, praises the expertise of the Montpellier BIC in particular. “For us, Montpellier BIC is a top-level consultant that helps us move forward,” he concludes.
