Transition your vehicle delivery fleet to e-bikes

If you’re in the delivery business and are considering why you might want to transition your fleet of vehicles to EVs - or in particular e-bikes - then there is a really good reason for doing it: you can save money on each delivery and increase your profits.

We said it was a really good reason.

You’re thinking: Yeah, but there has to be a catch.

Well, no, not really. But there are admittedly a few things to consider before you make any capital investment and buy a shop-load of electric bikes.

Not all e-bikes are the same

Not least will be which e-bike to buy. Many fleet managers new to the genre don’t realise that ebikes really are built for purpose - an e-bike is not just an e-bike. The difference between an e-bike suitable for food deliveries and an e-bike designed purely for leisure is at least as marked as that between a racing bike and a mountain bike, if not more.

That’s a later concern and something any Zoomo shop can help you with. More pressing to discuss perhaps are:

A. Are e-bikes a fad?
B. Give you some black and white reasons for why you’ll save money with a fleet of e-bikes
C. What you need to think about before you make any changes.

First up: Are they a fad? Answer: No. Next?

At the moment electric vehicles make up 4% of car sales, by 2030 Toyota expect that to be 85%. In the US, transport makes up 29% of all carbon emissions - the biggest single contributor. In the EU it’s 27%. Government support - or conversely, regulations - will be forthcoming. And the public wants change - businesses can enhance their reputation by making a change sooner rather than later. E-bikes are a far cheaper way to do it than EVs if they suit your business needs - and already one in four of all two and three wheel vehicles sold is battery powered.

How will you save money? 

Driving licences, pink slips, green slips, rego, fuel, parking (or parking fines), speeding fines, oil changes, brake pads - let’s not even mention the big end going. We’ve all shelled out cash on these things and more. And this is for one vehicle - just multiply by the number of vehicles in your fleet.

Then there are the slightly hidden costs such as the fact you need less real estate to house an e-bike, or that they can be ridden by younger users on a lower pay grade. 

Make sure you build a business case including full TCO (Total Cost of Operation) if you want to make sure you’re doing the right thing. Head to the Zoomo website or drop in a shop if you need help with this. 

What to consider when building your fleet

There will also be some hidden costs and practicalities to owning a fleet of e-bikes you might not have considered. The e-bikes need charging and so you’ll have to factor in energy charges - again Zoomo can help here. It does provide an opportunity perhaps to look at your full carbon footprint and look at renewable on-site solutions, such as solar and battery storage, or Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs); which can further reduce energy costs and enhance sustainability.

There may also be some training required around riding, charging and maintenance.

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So ask yourself a few questions:
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1. How many vehicles do you need?
2. What do you need them for, and how many can you afford?
3. Have you got viable facilities in terms of electrification and energy needs?
4. Where are your vehicles used most, for how long, and what do they carry?
5. Is there suitable space to maybe install solar? and could that space be found by freeing up storage space, as ebikes are relatively small?

Last but not least, do you really want to save money on transport and increase profits every year?

And if the answer is yes, then contact Zoomo.