UK parcel delivery company Evri has announced a £19m investment to fast-track the rollout of electric cargo bikes.
Evri said it plans to grow its fleet of e-cargo bikes from 33 to 99 vehicles and its fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) from 168 to 270 within the next year.
The logistics business added that it also plans to increase its fleet of e-cargo bikes to 3,000 over the next decade, as part of wider plans to reduce carbon emissions across Evri’s network and become a net-zero company by 2035.
READ MORE: Evri trials electric HGVs in latest fleet decarbonisation effort
Evri currently operates electric cargo bikes in London, Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge and delivers 1.5 million parcels a year.
It has established a dedicated so-called ‘final-mile electrification taskforce’ to spearhead solutions, explore partnerships, and implement strategies to transform its last-mile deliveries into a zero-emission operation.
Martijn De Lange, CEO at Evri, said: “Pedal power will rev up our efforts to reimagine parcel deliveries in the UK as we aim to become the biggest operator of e-cargo bikes in the sector.
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“We achieved a 9% decrease in carbon emissions since last year. The £19m investment announced will lay the groundwork for Evri to dial up on its ambition to become the UK’s most sustainable parcel carrier.”
According to Evri, with zero tailpipe emissions a single parcel delivery by e-cargo bike can be expected to produce up to a 250g carbon saving alone.
Each e-cargo bike reportedly has a capacity of about 2,000 litres, meaning it can deliver around 110 parcels in one go.
Evri said it also aims to deliver four million parcels per year by e-cargo bike, a number estimated to save more than 400,000 driver miles.
READ MORE: Evri e-cargo bike trial reduces emissions by 89%
The company also plans to replace diesel vehicles used on its ParcelShop, and SME collection routes, adding 148 EVs to its fleet, before the peak Christmas period this year, with a further 122 joining the fleet in spring 2025.
This means electric vans will account for more than half of Evri’s ParcelShop drop-offs and collections.
To support the EVs, Evri said it will invest more than £1m in the expansion of its own EV charging infrastructure across its depot network and hubs.
Evri’s wider sustainability team has reportedly already delivered a 21% carbon reduction per parcel for financial year 2023-24 with this down to 370g per parcel delivered.
Achievements and innovations in last-mile delivery will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector
