Evri invests £19m to roll out e-cargo bikes across UK

As part of its commitment to sustainability, Evri has announced it is investing £19m (US$24m) to fast-track the rollout out of electric cargo bikes to deliver parcels and reduce emissions.

The company has established a dedicated ‘final-mile electrification taskforce’ which will spearhead innovative solutions, explore partnerships and implement strategies to transform last-mile deliveries into a zero-emission operation. It will help grow Evri’s fleet of e-cargo bikes from 33 to 99 and its electric vehicles (EVs) from 168 to 270 within the next year, and aims to expand its fleet of electric cargo bikes to 3,000 over the next decade. This is part of its wider plans to reduce carbon emissions across its network and become a net-zero company by 2035.

It currently has e-cargo bikes operating in London, Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge and delivers 1.5 million parcels a year by bike or EV. The business aims to triple that number to around four million over the next year.

Martijn De Lange, CEO at Evri, said, “Pedal power will rev up our efforts to reimagine parcel deliveries in the UK as we aim to become the biggest operator of e-cargo bikes in the sector. We achieved a 9% decrease in carbon emissions since last year. The £19m [US$24m] investment announced today [June 24] will lay the groundwork for Evri to dial up on its ambition to become the UK’s most sustainable parcel carrier.”

Carbon savings

Each electric cargo bikes used for last-mile delivery has a capacity of about 2,000 litres, meaning it can deliver around 110 parcels in one go. With zero tailpipe emissions, a single parcel delivery by e-cargo bike can be expected to produce up to a 250g carbon saving alone. The growth to delivering four million parcels a year by e-cargo bike could save carbon equivalent to the amount created by driving over 400,000 miles, potentially reducing air and noise pollution as well as helping with congestion on the roads.

The company also plans to replace diesel vehicles used on its ParcelShop and SME collection routes. Evri will add 148 EVs to its fleet before Christmas this year, with a further 122 joining the fleet in spring 2025. This commitment will see electric vans account for over half of its ParcelShop drop-offs and collections. To support these vehicles, Evri will continuethe expansion of its own EV charging infrastructure, investing over £1m (US$1.27m) in this across its depot network and hubs.

Further investments

This will be complemented by the significant expansion of Evri’s ‘out of home’ (OOH) estate, as well as investment in renewable bio-methane compressed natural gas.

Pauline Potter, director of procurement and sustainability at Evri, commented, “Evri is committed to making a positive impact on the environment and delivering a sustainable future. Our multi-year ESG plans represent a significant leap forward, and we are confident that these initiatives will propel us toward our net-zero goal. We are not just investing in technology, but also in our people, empowering them to be part of the solution. Together, we can build a more sustainable future for the parcel delivery industry, as well as the communities we serve.”