On your bike – Bosch offers bike leasing to more than 100,000 associates

• Combined works agreement to promote low-emissions mobility for associates
• Cycling is good for associates’ health and creativity
• Kübel, director of industrial relations: “We want to help improve the air quality in cities.”
• Mai, combined works council chairwoman: “Associates can use the bike for work and private purposes.”

Riding serenely past traffic jams, coming up with new ideas outdoors, or simply doing something good for the environment – cycling has a lot of benefits. From February 2018, Bosch associates have access to bicycles and e-bikes leased by the supplier of technology and services. The new mobility and healthcare offering is available to more than 100,000 associates in Germany. Together with employee representatives, Bosch has developed a corresponding combined works agreement. “With this mobility offering, we want to help improve air quality in cities as well as the health of our associates,” says Christoph Kübel, member of the board of management and director of industrial relations at Robert Bosch GmbH, about concluding the combined works agreement. “Cycling is good for body and mind. It also promotes creativity – because we don’t always have our best ideas sitting at our desks, but instead while doing things like exercise. This is why bike leasing is now one component of our working culture.” Kerstin Mai, chairwoman of the combined works council says: “With this agreement, we have created a mobility offering for all associates. They can use the bike both for work and private purposes. Cycling keeps you fit, it is environmentally friendly, and it is often the fastest means of transport, especially in cities.” Associates of the Bosch Group in Germany with permanent contracts who have been with the company for at least three years have access to up to two bikes.

The fastest and most eco-friendly way to get around town

There are some 20 million commuters in Germany, half of which drive less than 10 kilometers to work. In urban areas, e-bikes offer the fastest way to travel such distances. A Bosch market study found that more than half of German residents believe that e-bikes offer a good alternative to cars. In addition, a third of those interested in an e-bike would want to use it for commuting purposes. Bicycles are not just the fastest way to get around in urban areas, they are also the most eco-friendly. Using public transit, for example, results in a carbon footprint ten times greater per kilometer traveled than an e-bike. Bike leasing can thus play a role in improving air quality in cities. The German government is also encouraging the use of bicycles, such as with an initiative to increase the share of bike traffic from 12 to 15 percent by 2020. For this purpose, they have allocated an annual budget of 200 million euros.

Cycling promotes good health

According to a British study, the risk of developing heart disease is 46 percent lower for people who ride their bikes to work than it is for people who commute by car or train. This is due to the fact that the combination of movement and fresh air strengthens the immune system, improves powers of concentration and responsiveness, and provides an increased sense of physical well-being. An endurance sport like cycling also has a positive effect on brain activity. The increased supply of oxygen improves cognitive abilities, while the rhythmic, circular pedaling motion provides for relaxation. Exercise also boosts the release of happiness hormones such as serotonin and endorphins – helpful substances for combatting depression.

Classic bikes or e-bikes

Bosch associates can choose their bike – be it an e-bike or a conventional bicycle – at one of roughly 4,000 participating specialist retailers. Bosch then takes care of the contractual side of things. Insurance and service checks are part of the lease, and associates also have the option of insuring the parts that are subject to wear and tear. The point of contact for the duration of the leasing period is the local bike retailer. In return for use of the bicycles, a leasing fee is taken from associates’ gross salary. As in the case of company cars, there are therefore additional tax benefits for the associate.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 400,500 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2017). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 78 billion euros in 2017. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and connected industry. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to create solutions for a connected life, and to improve quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 125 locations across the globe, Bosch employs 62,500 associates in research and development.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, iot.bosch.com,www.bosch-press.com, www.twitter.com/BoschPresse