Managing your delivery fleet can be tricky in the startup years, especially if there isn’t a budget to buy quality e-bikes or cargo bikes. Some scary reports about e-bikes catching fire while on charge are out in the public space. However, technology is improving to minimize these potential hazards.
According to a Mordor Intelligence research paper, the e-bike industry is expected to reach $51.78 billion by 2029. With more pressure on logistics companies to find greener and more energy-efficient transportation for deliveries, e-bikes are ideal for last-mile delivery.
However, there is one primary concern: Battery safety.
Locate2u sat down with bike expert Rachid Bouasria, managing director at London-based company CYCLEDELIK. Bouasria spends a significant chunk of his day advising customers about which e-bike to buy and helping with strategies to estimate how much it will cost to maintain their fleet.
More often than not, Bouasria says startups fail to invest in good quality transportation, which, in the long run, turn out to be more expensive when it breaks down.
Cycledelik is a last-mile delivery logistics support service, much like you get roadside assistance for vehicles, but this one is for bikes. Manual bikes, cargo bikes, e-bikes, you name it. Even better, they fix it where it broke down due to the size and the delivery demand cycle.
E-bikes: Save money now but pay the price later
Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room: the safety concerns of the e-bike. In most densely populated cities like London and New York, using e-bikes for last-mile delivery is ideal.
Bouasria has been in the industry for over 16 years, fixing bikes on the spot. He says he gets frantic calls every day asking for advice about the battery safety of e-bikes.
“People are buying them to do deliveries. Not realizing that they have a time bomb ticking between their legs.” He says there have been at least two fire incidents in the building where he stays due to e-bikes on charge.
There are two ‘types’ of bikes, he says. Non-branded, “cheap and cheerful,” and branded ones are not cheap; however, the prices seem to decrease due to their popularity. He advises businesses to invest in branded quality bikes instead.
While technology is constantly improving and evolving, outside charging stations are now accessible. In case of a blaze, it could be easier to control the flames and seek help. “The good news is that battery technology is improving as we speak. It’s the old stock still in the market that we must be very careful with.”
Reliable roadside support for delivery fleet
Being on call 24/7 for support for large companies like DHL, Cycledelik focuses on helping businesses make their “last-mile delivery project successful.” But at the same time, it helps cities clean up the air and polluted streets.
The major problems for fleet managers are inefficient budgets, unreliable e-bikes or cargo bikes, and poor maintenance insurance. To solve this common logistics problem, Cycledelik has developed a free tool to help companies plan for those unforeseen times.
Its ‘fleet care estimator’ is ideal for fleet managers to ensure there is always a budget to take care of breakdowns, unforeseen crashes, or repairs needed on the go.
Collecting basic information like the fleet size and in which area the bikes usually operate, could help estimate how much needs to be set aside to maintain the fleet.
“It’s a really handy free tool. It allows accountants, CEOs, and business owners to play with it and budget and forecast. You will know exactly how much it’s going to cost you to keep your bike running,” says Bouasria.
About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand. Do you have a story you would like her to expose, report on, or consider? Please send your request to Newsdesk@locate2u.com.
