7 Reasons e-Bikes Will Improve Your Delivery Commute [4 e-Bike Options]
The delivery business is hotter than ever before! Many major cities across the u.s. has seen a significant surge in people ordering. From amazon prime to food delivery services like SkipTheDishes, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Postmates and Grubhub.
With this growth in deliveries, more delivery drivers are needed now than ever before.
What makes the delivery service so attractive for many people is the ability to make fast money without any special skill set required.
One of the most essential tools needed by a delivery driver is a means of transportation. Being able to make your deliveries promptly is vital if the delivery driver wants to stay employed.
If you reside in a densely populated city, using an electric bike is ideal for food delivery, due to its low cost to operate and its ability to access sections of the city where a car typically can’t go.
Table of Contents
Is Buying an e-bike for delivery worth it?
If you live in a densely populated city with significant daily traffic, then using an e-bike for delivery is one of the best economical solutions.
It’s a great way to save money, reduce pollution, and get exercise.
1. Preserve energy and make more deliveries with an e-Bike
With an E-bikes powered assisted pedaling and torque sensors, you’re able to preserve energy and go further.
As you pedal, your powered assisted pedaling will engage and propel the bike forward. These sensors give you the ability to ride up steep roads without overexerting yourself and depleting all your energy.
On a traditional non-electric bike, pedaling can be draining, and it can leave you exhausted.
When you’re exhausted, you are not able to make as many deliveries throughout the day. And this could also affect the following day of work if you’re still tired from the previous day from all the pedaling you did.
When I do a full day of bike riding, I’m always extremely exhausted by the time I get home. I take a shower and fall asleep right away. When I wake up the next day, I still feel a lingering tired feeling from the previous day because I exerted so much energy.
2. Navigate The City Quickly And Efficiently with an e-Bike
A typical e-bike can reach speeds of 20 – 28 MPH. Some e-bikes you need to pedal to activate it, others can activate without pedaling first.
When driving a vehicle, you are limited to the areas you can go. You are bound to roadways and parking lots.
Depending on which state you live in – with an electric bike and, you could ride on roads, sidewalks, through parks and trails to get to the customer.
If you drive a vehicle, It could be quite challenging living in a busy city where parking spots are limited. You can’t just hop out and deliver your food item.
You have to take the time to find a parking spot which you might pay for before you make your delivery. This will add more to your operating costs.
Some delivery drivers are known to even take the chance and park in a no-parking zone and risk getting a ticket.
When you use an e-bike, you can lock it to most places like fences, light posts, or trees. For properties that allow bikes, you could go right to the customer’s door with your e-bike in hand.
Being able to do this will save you so much time. You don’t have to worry about getting a ticket because your car is double-parked.
3. Eliminate Car Expenses By Using An e-Bike For Delivery
Car expenses can eat into your food delivery profit(Pun intended). Many new delivery drivers don’t factor in the cost of operating a vehicle. You have to pay for gas, insurance, maintenance, parking, licensing, depreciation, and other possible related fees.
All these costs can add up! If you’re not doing enough delivery jobs daily, you might just be covering the cost to operate your vehicle.
Using an e-bike can significantly lower your transportation cost for food delivery.
Based on driving 15,000 miles annually, you can expect to pay around $8,000 annually.
5. The Convenience Of Using An e-Bike For Delivery
An electric bike might not go as fast as a traditional vehicle. But you’re able to access many places where a car cannot typically go.
Densely populated cities are notorious for bumper to bumper traffic. With an electric bike, you can navigate around all types of city traffic.
You’re able to ride between cars, through narrow walkways, and around gated areas and through trails.
This is extremely convenient because you’re able to get to the customer in less time. You will have the ability to make more deliveries when you spend less time to reach each customer.
With an e-bike, you never have to worry about trying to find a gas station to fuel it. E-bikes run off electricity, Which is far cheaper and more convenient as a fuel source.
It does take several hours to charge a battery. But you can plug your battery anywhere to charge it.
If you own multiple batteries, you can keep one on the charger and one in the e-bike. Every time the one in the e-bike is low, you can swap them.
Also, keep in mind you’re still riding a bike! So even if your battery runs out, you’re still able to pedal manually to reach your destination.
You can also bring an extra battery with you as you make your deliveries and swap them as needed.
Reddit r/ebikes user hustlor reported working 4-5 hours and making an average $30 an hour by using an e-bike.
6. Carrying Food Items On An e-Bike Rack
Some of the more premium e-bikes in the market can carry weights up to 300 lb. So you never need to worry about how much food you can haul.
Stock e-bikes typically don’t come with a back-mounted rack. You’ll need to purchase this separately. You could purchase it directly from the e-bike retailer, or you could find many aftermarket options.
You will also need cables to wrap around the food item and connect to the back-mounted rack.
7. Less pollution when riding e-bikes for Delivery
One of the considerable benefits of using an e-bike for delivery is the zero-emissions the bike produces.
According to a report from the world economic forum and Deloitte, delivery trucks make up 7% of urban traffic and 17% of congestion due to wasted hours and gas.
UPS even started using electric-powered bikes in Europe in 2012. The first US rollout began in 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
UPS hopes by using e-bikes, this will help reduce congestion and pollution caused by vehicles.
For every three e-bikes on the road, you can save 17 gallons of fuel per day.
Pros And Cons Of Using An e-Bike For Delivery
Pros
- Eliminate costly gas expenses
- Maintenance cost is less than a vehicle
- Avoid parking and speeding tickets
- Improves your health by cycling
- Decrease your carbon footprint
- Able to access more areas
- You don’t need a license
Cons
- You could get injured by careless drivers
- You are exposed to the weather
- Not as fast as a traditional vehicle
- Battery charging time
Best 4 Electric Bikes For Delivery
1. biktrix Kutty 2020 Edition
This is biktrix’s newest and best in their folding e-bike line. This small folding e-bike packs a punch. Powered by a 48V, 750W motor, this bike can deal with most steep inclines.
The great thing about folding e-bikes is the option to
condense it down into something that’s easy to carry into areas where you might have a hard time taking a bike.
Public transit is one example of a place where you might have difficulty carrying a regular bike.
2. Juiced Bikes Scorpion: Electric Moped-Style Bike
This moped-styled e-bike can hit speeds of 28 MPH with a range of 45+ miles. This bike carries a powerful 54V / 13 Ah battery. This e-bike packs more range and power than you thought was possible from an e-bike.
3. Juiced Bikes CrossCurrent X: Electric Commuter Bike
If you’re looking for more a traditional commuter bike look, then the CrossCurrent X: Electric Commuter Bike might be for you. With 28 MPH with a range of 70+ miles.
4. Rad Power Bikes RadRunner 1
Priced at $1,199, the RadRunner is more affordable than more premium e-bike models in the market. But don’t make the lower price fool you! This bike still packs a 48V / 14 Ah battery with a 750W hub motor and can carry loads up to 300 LBS.
