Zomato has launched a pilot program for an EV rental bike fleet in Delhi.

The initiative includes 300 rental bikes and supports the company’s goal of achieving 100% EV-based deliveries by 2030.

Currently, over 37,000 active delivery partners are already using EVs.

The company plans to expand the pilot beyond Delhi-NCR based on feedback from delivery partners.

The new rental fleet offers a more sustainable option compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) bikes. EVs may have higher upfront costs, but they can be cheaper to own in the long run.

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🔗 Source: YourStory

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Early EV adoption shows food delivery’s long-term sustainability strategy

Zomato’s current EV pilot represents the evolution of a strategy that began at least six years ago, not a new initiative.

As early as February 2019, Zomato had already integrated electric bikes and bicycles across 12 cities with 5,000 cyclists active in its fleet, primarily in Delhi NCR 1.

The company’s partnership with eBikeGo in 2019 marked its initial efforts to transition from petrol vehicles to electric options, showing this recent pilot is part of a sustained, long-term investment 2.

This timeline demonstrates how food delivery platforms have been systematically building experience with electric mobility for years before making ambitious 2030 pledges.

Examining this progression reveals that the industry has been carefully testing and refining its EV deployment strategy through small-scale implementations before scaling to the current goal of complete fleet electrification.

2️⃣ Rental models address crucial EV adoption barriers for gig workers

The rental approach in Zomato’s pilot directly addresses the financial constraints that prevent delivery partners from purchasing their own electric vehicles.

While EVs offer up to 40% lower operational costs compared to traditional vehicles, the high upfront purchase price remains prohibitive for most gig workers 3.

This economic reality explains why rental programs are emerging as a solution across the industry, enabling workers to access EV benefits without capital investment.

The growing shift to EVs among delivery workers is further accelerated by rising fuel costs, which are squeezing profit margins for those using traditional vehicles 4.

NITI Aayog’s projections of significant growth in India’s gig workforce by 2029-30 make these rental solutions increasingly important for sustainable employment in the delivery sector 5.

3️⃣ Last-mile delivery becoming proving ground for nationwide EV infrastructure

The food delivery sector’s push toward electric vehicles is creating concentrated demand for charging infrastructure in urban areas, potentially accelerating broader EV adoption.

This concentrated adoption creates charging demand hotspots in delivery-heavy urban areas, effectively testing infrastructure that will eventually need to support broader consumer EV adoption.

The challenge is particularly acute since many delivery partners live in areas without dedicated charging facilities, making public charging infrastructure essential for their operations 6.

As Zomato and Swiggy collectively employ hundreds of thousands of delivery partners, their transition to EVs will create one of India’s largest private electric fleets, potentially influencing how cities plan charging networks and how manufacturers design delivery-optimized vehicles.

Recent Zomato developments

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