Vallkree Bikes: New Zealand needs more commuter cyclists to tackle emissions
ENVIRONMENT 🌿
New Zealand’s office workers are being encouraged to ride like Jason Momoa to tackle emissions on a retro-inspired commuter e-bike endorsed by international celebrities including Momoa, Kelly Slater, and New Zealand’s own Tiki Taane.
Bay of Plenty entrepreneur Dan Wallace has brought the Vallkree brand of retro-inspired e-bikes to New Zealand to redefine our e-bike market which he says has been dominated by over 50s riding recreationally.
“We want to redefine how Kiwis perceive eco-friendly commuting. The rest of the world is destroying New Zealand with green initiatives. I lived overseas for 14 years and if you go anywhere in Europe, everybody’s got a commuter e-bike in their garage,” says Dan.
“E-bikes are for the whole family. It’s not a weekend recreational trail rider. If New Zealand is ever going to meet emissions targets we must start thinking like this,” says Dan.
“Vallkree are the first e-bikes in New Zealand that Kiwis can get shipped directly to them and assemble. We know Kiwis can be averse to buying big-ticket items online which is why we’ve kept distributors too. People can also get their bike sent to the distributor to assemble,” says Dan.
Wellington commuter Jeff Ghazally uses his Vallkree Moon Dog to cycle 22km from his home in Naenae to Willis St in Wellington City, dropping his son Baxter off at school on the way.
He got his bike through New Zealand’s WorkRide scheme which sees participating employers purchase bikes, e-bikes, or scooters on behalf of staff members and lease them to their employees. The employee pays the bike or scooter back over the following year through pay deductions.
The agreement employers sign up to means staff members don’t pay fringe benefit tax (FBT) on the bikes, and because the deductions are made pre-tax, the bike rider’s taxable income is reduced, meaning they pay less in income tax.
WorkRide now has over 250 participating employers.
check out https://nz.vallkree.com/
