Jumia Kenya is adding E-Vans or what are commonly known as Tuk-Tuks to its delivery fleet in the country. The e-commerce leader has partnered with California-based EV solutions provider BILITI Electric for this project.
The two companies have successfully completed the pilot project, and are set to scale the fleet within Kenya in the first phase, and eventually across Africa. This partnership, the two say is an essential step toward Africa’s progress in the e-mobility industry to achieve its environmental sustainability goals.
“Leveraging technology to improve everyday lives in Africa,” is the first pillar of JUMIA’s sustainability strategy. “We are committed to building a supply chain that will minimize the environmental impact of our operations. The introduction of these e-Vans (Tuk-Tuk) to our delivery fleet is an integral milestone in our journey towards realizing our ESG objectives,” said Jumia Kenya CEO, Juan Seco
BILITI Electric’s Taskmanvariant is designed for commercial last-mile deliveries. It offers a range of 100 km per charge, a payload of 500 kg, and a top speed of 50 kmph. BILITI’s SmartSwapp technology enables the rider to simply swap the vehicle battery and get recharged in less than a minute.
These e-vans offer African communities cleaner air and economic opportunity. An additional benefit is that delivery agents can earn more money by switching from fossil-fuel motorcycles to these e-vans, allowing them to deliver more orders more quickly and efficiently.
“We are thrilled about this partnership with JUMIA and the important role we will play in helping the company progress towards its sustainability and ESG goals. Last-mile delivery costs account for 53% of the total cost of shipping. EVs help save on high costs compared to any internal combustion engine vehicle. We are confident that we will be able to help JUMIA to offer faster, clean, cheaper, and more convenient last-mile deliveries,” said Rahul Gayam, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of BILITI Electric.
Kenya is perfectly positioned to kickstart an initiative of this sort. In 2020, around 92% of the electricity used in the country was generated from renewables, including hydropower, geothermal, solar PV, and wind. Kenya is targeting 100% clean energy use by 2030.
In 2021, Jumia also partnered with eBee Africa to launch a fleet of electric bicycles in what the two companies said is to help save costs for riders and consumers, while also reducing CO2 emissions in Nairobi.
Previously, Jumia’s fleet comprised fuel-based motorbikes. 100s of them are on the road every day to deliver products to our customers.
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