Bosch technology shapes many areas of life, whether that’s at home, on your bike or at work. As a renowned manufacturer of eBike systems, offering Lease a Bike to their employees “is a great way to not only provide a product that promotes wellness activities, but it’s a Bosch product that our associates enjoy using”, says Michelle Zell, Director of HR at Bosch Sunnyvale.

To pilot the employer-sponsored bike leasing program, Bosch offered Lease a Bike to their Sunnyvale office employees for more than a year and contributed $50 monthly to the lease of each participant. As a result, participants started biking more, experienced the health benefits and bike leasing as an employee benefit contributed to their positive attitude towards Bosch as an employer.

It’s better than free pizza

Offering and promoting Lease a Bike has shown to be a true benefit for both the employees and the employer.

Lowering barriers for employees

For employees, leasing a bike is an easy and affordable way to start riding tailored to their lifestyle. Participants were attracted to the program by the opportunity to pay a manageable fixed amount each month through leasing, benefit from Bosch's contribution, and test the bike before making a purchase commitment.

“Participants probably would not have gotten an eBike otherwise”,

Michelle Zell explains.


It was amazing to conclude in our evaluation that participants not only began commuting more often by eBike thanks to Lease a Bike, but also started biking more in general.

A true benefit to attract talent and strengthen retention

The program is a great benefit to the rider. Additionally, it serves as an amazing tool for Bosch to invest in their workforce. This was acknowledged across the board, as described by Michelle. “When we first pitched eBike leasing and the $50 subsidy from Bosch, it didn’t take much for the leaders to see the value of the program for their employees and say “yes” to this pilot program.

When leaders say “yes” so quickly it tells me something.

The benefits of the eBike lease helps get our associates outside in nature more and brings the health benefits of riding an eBike.” Results of the pilot proved that leadership was right! On top of that, participants’ attitude towards Bosch as an employer became more positive. Overall, the program was evaluated with an average of 8.3 (out of 10) and the Net Promoter Score increased from 17 to 33.

Burn calories, not carbon

Sharing the joy of cycling is not only fun, it also improves physical and mental health. “The eBike leasing pilot was great from a wellness perspective”, Michelle explains, “It got people outside and exercising. At Bosch, we care about people and are associate forward, so this was a great way to not only provide a product that promotes wellness activities, but it’s a Bosch product* that our associates want to use and enjoy using.” The wellness benefit was also acknowledged by the participants. In fact, one of the main motivations for participants to Lease a Bike was to get outside and be more physically active. An objective that was met either largely or completely for all participants. One of the participants enthusiastically elaborated: “At the start of the program, I did not know what an eBike was. I thought it was a scooter! However, I soon found out and loved it. I lost 10 pounds over the course of a few months.”

Two wheels, endless possibilities

Lease a Bike empowers employees to enjoy their ride and employers to enjoy a worry-free automated program. Through the intuitive online portal and the expertise at the local bike shops, it has never been easier to get on a bike and experience the endless possibilities of riding, even if you’re new to bikes. As one of the participants explained: “The hands-on explanation of the eBike was great. After the test ride, I felt comfortable taking the bike home!”. Employers do not have to worry about facilitating as Lease a Bike equips them with all of the necessary guidance, from communications toolkits, to test events and worry-free administration. From a Bosch perspective, Michelle endorses this, saying that “Overall the Lease a Bike system ran on its own and we had a good experience with the bike shops and leasing company.”

Most importantly, as called out by many participants: “it is just so much fun to ride!”

The NPS (Net Promoter Score) is a common metric used in customer experience programs to measure customer loyalty.

Lease a Bike partners with local bike shops so that services and support for our riders are right around the corner. It’s part of our commitment to supporting local businesses and the people who live in their communities.