Co-op turns to peddle power for zero-emission deliveries

The Co-op is to offer shoppers the chance to have zero-emission home deliveries after teaming up with e-cargobikes.com.

Shoppers will be able to order products via www.shop.coop.co.uk, which will then be delivered to their homes or offices by bike within two hours.

The delivery service is initially available to shoppers within four-kilometres of the Co-op’s store on the Kings Road in Chelsea, before being rolled out to further London stores.

The fast delivery time is due to the electrically assisted cargo bike’s ability to utilise cycle lanes, filter safely through standing traffic, pass between the narrow bollards adorning many of our streets, and park right outside customers’ homes and offices to make deliveries.

According to e-cargobike, one single bike requires less than 0.5% of the energy needed to power a 3.5 tonne conventional diesel-fuelled delivery van over an eight-hour delivery shift. An electric van, however, provides just a 30% improvement over the diesel van.

‘This is an exciting time for the Co-op. As the leaders in convenience shopping, we want to look at different ways of bringing our award-winning products closer to shoppers, and this new service with e-cargobikes.com does exactly that,’ said the Co-op’s head of food digital, Chris Conway.

James FitzGerald, managing director of e-cargobikes.com, added:‘We are thrilled that Co-op are demonstrating environmental leadership by launching their online delivery service using e-cargobikes.com.

‘We are reimagining grocery deliveries and exploring a more sustainable transport system – our e-cargobikes are able to deliver the same amount as a diesel-van over a shift but require only 0.5% of the energy.’