Swiggy rolls out EV delivery trial across three cities, announces partnerships

Bengaluru headquartered food technology platform Swiggy had a trial run for the electric vehicle (EV) based deliveries across Bengaluru, New Delhi and Hyderabad, a statement by the company said.  

For its EV foray, the company also announced partnerships with Reliance BP Mobility Limited (RBML), Hero Lectro and UK-based Fast Despatch Logistics to roll out order delivery using cargo e-cycles.  

A switch to EV based deliveries will help Swiggy's delivery partners to save 40% of vehicle running cost, claims the company, improving the payouts.  

As part of the partnership, RBML will set up EV infrastructure player, Jio-bp’s battery swapping stations at multiple locations and provide technical assistance and training to Swiggy’s delivery partners for these functions.  

A single pre-charged battery can run for 65-80 kilometres and the process of battery swapping will take five minutes, said the statement. 

The partnership is a part of Jio-bp’s expansion plans to set up battery swap stations across urban locations. 

“Swiggy’s fleet delivers millions of orders each month with our partners traveling an average of 80- 100 kilometers daily. 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,” Sriharsha Majety, CEO of Swiggy, said in the statement.  

He further said, “Transitioning to EVs is an important step in this direction. It will have a positive impact not only on the environment but also empower our delivery partners to earn more.” 

The move by SoftBank backed Swiggy comes at a time when ecommerce players such as Flipkart as well as food technology rival Zomato have committed to increase their share of EV in supply chain and delivery by 2030.