Food delivery platform Swiggy has partnered with Reliance BP Mobility Limited (RBML) to increase the delivery fleet of electric vehicles in an effort towards making the company more sustainable and pollution-free. Reliance BP Mobility Ltd (RBML) will build the mobility ecosystem for the delivery partners of Swiggy and trials on pilot projects have already begun. Swiggy aims to cover delivery spanning 8 lakh km every day via EVs in the next four years.
Not only will it make Swiggy more sustainable towards the environment but also lower input costs for the company. As per an estimate, around 40 per cent of the cost of running vehicles will be reduced via EV usage, which is a big boost for Swiggy. On average, each delivery partner of Swiggy travels around 80-100 km every day.
"As we continue to work towards providing our consumers with greater convenience, we are also mindful of the environmental impact of our operations and are taking the necessary steps to make our journey more sustainable," Swiggy CEO Sriharsha Majety said in a statement.
Also read: CCI nod to SoftBank's $450 million investment in Swiggy
Reliance BP Mobility CEO Harish C Mehta, said RBML has forayed into e-mobility services and is committed to creating an ecosystem which will help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the country. "Leveraging the best of bp's global learnings in electrification, RBML is setting up a robust and sustainable infrastructure comprising EV charging hubs and battery swapping stations offering digitally enabled services to all stakeholders," he added.
He said transitioning to EVs is an important step and would impact the environment but delivery partners positively.
Also read: Swiggy rolls out SOS button for delivery partners
Swiggy has also tied up with Hero Lectro, e-cycle manufacturer, and Fast Despatch Logistics, a last-mile delivery platform in the UK, to enable end-to-end delivery of orders. Trials regarding this are undergoing across Hyderabad, Bengaluru and New Delhi.
E-bikes, which are highly suitable for last-mile deliveries, can travel at a maximum speed of 25 kmph, with a range of 70-75 km per charge. When the battery runs out, it can be used as regular cycles using pedals and can be charged as per the user's convenience at a regular charging point.
EVs are touted as a one-stop solution to many problems in India. These include those related to air pollution and steep oil import bill that depletes our foreign exchange reserves. India consumes 29.4 per cent of the worlds oil and crude oil accounts for more than a quarter of its imports. It spent over $100 billion on oil imports in FY20.
Also read: Swiggy raises $1.25 billion in funding round led by SoftBank, Prosus