E-commerce, hyperlocal supply chains to get cheaper with EV adoption

BENGALURU : The electric vehicle revolution isn’t just mushrooming from consumer demand but also from e-commerce and hyperlocal delivery firms. EV scooter makers including eBikeGo, Okinawa and Ather Energy are helping e-commerce and food delivery firms to convert their petrol-based scooters, used for deliveries, to more cost-efficient EV variants. With more net income being paid to delivery workers, Bigbasket is also able to bring down delivery costs from the earlier ₹50-65 per order to around ₹40-45 per order in areas where it has an EV deployment in the last-mile. Delhi-based EV manufacturer eBikeGo, currently supplies EV scooters to delivery startups such as Bigbasket, Zomato, and to retail brands including Burger King, Nandos, among others. “There is a huge opportunity for EV Industry in e-commerce and hyperlocal delivery market. In the post COVID era, e commerce is going to play a major role in the EV industryWe are in process of building presence in e-commerce and hyperlocal market currently,” added Sharma during a phone interview.