Kind of unbelievable that it was only in 2018 when we first discovered Ca Go at Eurobike. Now we are standing in a large parking lot at the gates of Koblenz and look at the Ca Go showroom. We have made an appointment for a home visit - in addition to the showroom, we can also take a look behind the scenes of production, assembly, development and administration. Everything here, at the Koblenz motorway junction: If you enter the address in Google Maps, you will find not only Ca Go but also the RTI Sports sales department and the ergonomics experts from Ergon. No wonder, after all, you share the building with managing director Franc Arnold.
So it was just three years ago that the Ca Go project began and is undoubtedly one of the stars of the local cargo scene today. It went from the idea to the limelight at turbo speed – despite adverse circumstances. "The actual plan did not include assembling the bikes here on site," says our host Ingo Kahnt. However, after the originally planned partner got into financial difficulties, Ca Go made a virtue out of necessity and used the premises available through RTI Sports. So it happened that not only the Ca Go showroom is located here, but also the warehouse, production and large parts of the administration. The young company currently has almost 30 employees. Development is also located directly in Koblenz on the university campus.
The showroom offers anyone who is interested detailed insights into Ca Go's only product to date, the FS200. Test drives are of course also possible here. In order to be able to advise people intensively in their own homes, two virtual reality glasses were even purchased.
A few meters from the showroom is the heart of Ca Go. This is where all the threads come together and a finished cargo bike is created from several hundred individual parts. The quality of the delivered parts is also checked directly; every frame must stand up to the trained eye of the employees. Paint, welds, frame dimensions - all of this is checked for each bike before assembly.
Some bikes are already ready for collection. “Friday is collection day for us. Customers can choose to pick up their new bikes from the dealer or from us directly, and they also get a little tour on the opportunity,” says Ingo. Collection directly from the manufacturer? This is possible thanks to the hybrid sales model: while purchase and configuration take place online via the website, a constantly growing network of service partners provides advice before purchase, delivery, after-sales service and test drives are now possible in many places. Of course, these partners can also take care of the delivery of the bike if you wish. The combination of these sales models offers many advantages; Customers benefit from short supply chains and numerous customization options without having to forego on-site service after purchase.
In an inconspicuous adjoining room, we discover the Ca Go test fleet among the individual parts and components, of which we are rightly very proud. The five bikes have already covered many thousands of kilometers, which have also left their mark. No wonder, because the tests are carried out under tough, practical conditions. The test lap, which is almost ten kilometers long, takes the bikes, which are loaded to the weight limit, over asphalt, gravel and forest roads – five days a week, in any weather. Who's Driving? “That must be one of the most popular student jobs in the region,” Ingo smiles.
Large parts of the administration are located in the adjoining building – purchasing, sales, customer service. Especially the latter is very important at Ca Go. "It is clear to us that we offer a product that requires intensive consultation and we take the time to be there for buyers and interested parties." "Of course it takes a lot of time, but for us it's part of the concept. We may not necessarily want to become part of our customers' family, but we do want to belong to their circle of acquaintances. Nobody should hesitate to get in touch with questions or other concerns,” Ingo explains the close relationship with the Ca Go community.
About 15 minutes away by car we pay a visit to the development department on the university campus. Here you can sometimes tinker with the almost 100 add-on parts of the FS200 that come “from your own pen”. Of course, this includes the transport box made of EPP foam, which originally got the Ca Go idea really rolling. From this, the company Schumpeter has emerged, which manufactures foam components for numerous industrial applications. The new all-weather top was also developed here and the first prototype was manufactured. Actually, the hood for sun and weather protection should have been available earlier, but a few revisions were necessary "until the hood met our requirements," admits Ingo. "Even if we don't like doing it, we'd rather keep our buyers in suspense than deliver an unfinished product."