New Canadian Business Makes Travel Easier for eMTBers

EMTBers who want to fly with their ride to Canada but want to avoid the hassle of traveling with their battery will have a new option thanks to curRent eMTB Battery Hire. Starting in July this year, the new company will rent eMTB batteries from its Whistler location.

CurRent eMTB will also ship batteries to customers anywhere in Canada, saving time and money by shipping within Canada as opposed to international customers shipping batteries to themselves from outside of the country, which is much more expensive and time-consuming.

“Renting a battery costs less than renting an e-bike or buying a spare battery,” says Peter Tongue, founder of curRent eMTB. “Plus, it gives riders the freedom to bring their own bike wherever they go. This service makes traveling with your e-bike as easy as the hills we don’t pedal up.”

The website is live with a pre-booking form, allowing riders to secure rentals ahead of summer. The process is straightforward: Pre-book online (free) and receive a confirmation before you travel; pack your bike and charger; pick up your battery in Whistler or have it shipped within Canada to your destination; and drop off or ship the battery back.

The brick-and-mortar Whistler location will be open until 11 p.m. for later arrivals, and options for purchasing or leasing batteries for extended periods will be explored, Tongue said.

Airlines prohibit the checking of lithium-ion batteries due to potential fire hazards. Tongue says that shipping batteries, especially internationally, is expensive and takes a long time, leaving the sender without the use of their bike during that time. With his new service, eMTBers can just pack up their bike sans battery and travel without having to carry on their battery, or rent extra batteries if charging time or charging availability is an issue, such as while camping.

"It's hard to know how big the market is for this service," Tongue wrote online. "Hence why we are so keen to get people to fill out the pre-booking form or expression of interest for. Just keen to help others out who want to travel with their eMTB. ... I'm hoping people want this service. I know I would love to travel with my eBike!"

Tongue says he’s still working out pricing based on insurance, the popularity of different types of batteries and rates from suppliers, but the response online has been positive.

“Whooaaaaaa you're going to be renting out batteries for the Bowhead Reach at Whistler for Crankworx??” one Instagram commentor wrote. “ It costs about $40 each way to ship from ON to BC and a week by ground. Interested in rates, but generally stoked for people traveling from abroad etc. One less thing to worry about. 🙌”

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