Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Kenya, has announced a partnership with Little to roll out electric bikes (e-bikes) to be used in delivering online orders starting 28th July, 2022.
The initiative is part of Carrefour Kenya’s agenda to increase the sustainability of its services and become net positive in carbon and water by 2040. The fleet will initially consist of female riders, promoting gender equality in the mobility industry.
Ms Franck Moreau, Regional Director of Carrefour East Africa at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said the company has seen fast growth in online orders and target to have up to 40% of online deliveries fulfilled using e-bikes by the end of 2022 following rigorous testing for mileage and efficiency.
“Micromobility is the future of last-mile deliveries, and we are excited to be switching to electric motorbikes to reduce congestion and lower emissions whilst boosting Kenya’s sustainable development goals,” Mr Moreau said. “With our new fleet driven by all female drivers, we can continue to harness the power of innovation whilst steering towards a more positive future.”
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that an average motorcycle is 10 times more polluting for the air per mile than an ordinary fuel-powered motorcycle. UNEP’s Electric Mobility (Emob) calculator reveals that a global shift to electric motorcycles could prevent 11billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
It would also save global motorcycle owners a combined $350 billion by 2050, largely because electric vehicles are cheaper to charge and maintain.
With the increasing cost of fuel, Carrefour’s e-commerce platform offers customers a very convenient mode of shopping, with the widest range of products, competitive delivery prices and the option of scheduled or immediate delivery.
