Skyrocketing oil prices over the past few months have put drivers across the entire world into a state of sticker shock each time they reach for the pump. And except for a few nations where gas is subsidized—and strangely enough, where the air pollution is far, far worse—people face higher prices in other countries than they do in the United States.  

Across Northern Europe, gas prices are well in excess of seven dollars per gallon, with the UK and Norway exceeding eight. Yet even at four dollars a gallon, gas is cheaper than many other products we buy every day. Though it’s put a strain on our wallets and pocketbooks, the rising gasoline prices have had comparatively little impact on day to day routines; only 8% of US citizens report changing their commuting habits due to the recent spike.

But one group of Americans has been feeling the sting, and hasn’t been quiet about it. The shipping industry, powered by more expensive diesel and jet fuels, has been cranking up surcharges to pass the recent price increases on to consumers. But now, a new company, inspired by a city with some of the world’s most expensive gas—and strangely enough, some of the world’s cleanest air—is looking to help consumers dodge the costs, and reduce their carbon footprint, all in one green sweep.

The New Amsterdam Project, operated just outside of Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is looking to support heavy deliveries to local business without the need for bulky, diesel powered vehicles. “Just from a purely practical, common sense prospective, it makes no sense to transport goods through urban areas with big trucks” said Andrew Brown, the business’s CEO, in an interview with NPR.

New Amsterdam’s unique delivery service takes advantage of custom-built cargo bicycles, weighing nearly 200 pounds empty, and costing around $11,0000 a piece. But with their solidly-built frames, and a combination of human and auxiliary electric power, the vehicles can move up to 1000 pounds of cargo at a time, without noxious emissions or heat-trapping gasses.

While this still doesn’t match the massive capacity of box trucks, traditional diesel-fueled deliveries in sizes required by small businesses often come with 50 to 70 dollar charges per drop; New Amsterdam is able to deliver the same loads for a shade over 10. Plus, the bikes are able to provide faster delivery times through the Boston area’s epic traffic snarls, guaranteeing their clients the freshest possible foods. According to one driver, the bikes also perform admirably in the harsh New England winter, where cold mornings see traditional engines too frozen to start several times a year.

While the company is just starting out, with only 11 clients so far, its potential both in terms of relieving congestion and improving the environment is enormous. If its five  delivery bikes log 600 miles a week, they’ll represent an emissions savings of over 25,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, in addition to their reduced economic cost to small business and their consumers. It’s numbers like these that make ventures like the New Amsterdam Project the United States’ best weapon against the dual threats of rising oil costs and global warming.