iFood Launches Affordable Electric Motorcycles for Delivery in Brazil

By Grit Daily Staff Grit Daily Staff has been verified by Muck Rack's editorial team
Published on May 31, 2022
New e-motorcycles arrive for iFood’s delivery partners with a discount, easy financing, and projected savings, on average, of 70 percent in maintenance and running costs. The pilot project, being implemented in São Paulo, the largest city in the Americas, will have 100 battery stations spread across the massive city to reduce carbon emissions.

São Paulo, Brazil – Today, Brazilian foodtech and online delivery giant iFood announced the launch of its first electric motorcycles for delivery people as a new mobility option that brings savings, on average, of 70 percent to partners and introduces a less polluting solution for the Brazilian market.

The project was developed by iFood, together with several partners during the last year, to provide an affordable solution with all the necessary infrastructure for its operation. The partnership with the motorcycle assembler allows delivery people to have a differentiated value that is lower than what’s typical in Latin America’s largest economy: R$9,999.90 (USD$2,099.99). The new sustainable transportation mode will be continuously improved for future expansion to other cities.

In addition to the motorcycle maker, banco BV will participate in the project to offer a more economical and sustainable mobility solution for the foodtech giant’s delivery people. iFood and BV formalized a partnership offering access to a line of financing with differentiated conditions to enable the acquisition of electric motorcycles. BV offers a subsidy of R$2,000 for the first 300 motorcycles that are financed, subject to credit and user approval.

“Our initiative is based on thinking about the advantages for our delivery people and the environment. It is extremely important that companies with common purposes promote sustainability in business and in the ecosystem. This type of union, in fact, makes the necessary changes possible for a better society,” emphasized André Borges, head of sustainability at iFood.

“We were pioneers among Brazilian banks to offset 100 percent of CO2 emissions and our financed fleet and now, with this important partnership with iFood, we want to make this alternative viable for delivery people, which makes a great contribution to the environment and more peace of mind for your financial lives. This is a beautiful example of sustainable innovation, something that BV will increasingly bring to the vehicle market,” said Flavio Suchek, Executive Director of Retail at banco BV.

The new iFood electric motorcycles can work with a battery exchange system, distributed at gas stations in the city of São Paulo, optimizing the time and usability of the item in a comprehensive system of recharges. The project is being implemented on a pilot basis in São Paulo and, in this first phase, 100 quick battery change stations will be installed in neighborhoods such as Aclimação, Itaim Bibi, Jardins, Lapa, Moema, Paulista, Pinheiros, República Consolação, among others. In this concept, the users don’t own the battery, but they use it as a service (Battery as a Service) in a network of quick-change stations. At the moment, there are already 33 exchange stations installed at 19 gas stations in the capital of São Paulo.

“This is just the beginning of an effective change in the delivery segment. There are more than 200,000 active couriers on our platform, and this is an opportunity to provide them with access to an electric motorcycles at a lower acquisition cost that is more economical for them over time, while generating an effective impact on the reduction of carbon emissions in the environment,” highlighted Claudia Storch, director of logistics at iFood. 

Economic and Sustainability Benefits of the E-motorcycles

After carrying out tests in the city of São Paulo with 30 of iFood’s delivery people, it was verified that the exchange of a combustion mode of transportation for an electric one generates a real cost reduction for deliveries. For example, a delivery person who travels 3,000 km per month has a monthly cost of around R$610 of fuel (considering the liter at R$7.10). With the electric motorcycle, this cost becomes a fixed amount, due to the battery swap system developed in this project, generating savings of more than 60 percent for the delivery person in fuel alone.

Considering the maintenance of the new vehicle, the monthly amount of expenses for the new electric motorcycle drops, on average, 70 percent.

“A motorcycle that has no oil, no filter, no spark plug and no gasoline? There’s no way something like this could be bad. I save 70 percent or even 80 percent with this bike, relative to the one I had,” said Bruno dos Santos, an iFood delivery partner.

Battery Swap System

The shared battery system is an option for couriers, so they don’t have to worry about recharging. As a result, subscription plans will be available ranging from R$129/month for those who drive up to 2,000 km to R$319 for unlimited mileage and exchanges. Thus, couriers make the exchange of discharged batteries for charged ones quickly and simply. But the motorcycle comes with a battery charger that users can recharge from any outlet.

The motorcycle’s autonomy with two batteries is from 100 to 180 kilometers, which guarantees ample circulation. In addition, couriers do not need to worry about interruptions for recharging when using the battery swap points, which are located in several gas stations and will be available 24 hours a day.

Zero CO2 emissions 

The iFood initiative seeks to encourage, more and more, the use of non-polluting modes of transportation in cities. “We want to show that it is already a reality to travel within urban centers with vehicles that generate a low impact on the environment,” highlighted Borges.

As part of the objective of making its operations carbon neutral (iFood Regenera), the foodtech giant is constantly looking for solutions for delivery and, in addition to supporting the use of electric motorcycles, foodtech carries out the iFood Pedal, a project that focuses on providing couriers with accessible plans for the use of bicycles and e-bikes in deliveries.

“Our goal is to ensure that 50 percent of iFood deliveries are made by vehicles that do not use fossil fuels by 2025. It is a gain for our delivery person, for the environment, and for society as a whole,” said André.

Technical Data

·       100 to 180 kilometers with two batteries

·       Up to 85 km/h – restricted for greater range

·       2 years warranty

·       Value of the iFood/Voltz motorcycle – BRL 9,999.90

iFood, a benchmark in online food delivery in Latin America, receives more than 60 million orders per month. The Brazilian company, which has been in the market for ten years, is also present in Colombia. It works, along with partners, on initiatives that combine business intelligence and management solutions for about 270,000 restaurants registered in more than 1,000 cities throughout Brazil. iFood has important investors, such as Movile, a global leader in mobile marketplaces, and Just Eat, one of the biggest companies of online shopping in the world. Recently, the company launched iFood News, a company-owned news portal that covers topics including business, the new economy, food delivery, technology, partner success stories, and trends and innovations in the segment.

By Grit Daily Staff Grit Daily Staff has been verified by Muck Rack's editorial team

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