IKEA says it is a challenge to keep last-mile services sustainable and cost-effective while meeting customer expectations. But IKEA is making a lot of progress in this area. IKEA retailers have been introducing electric trucks for home delivery services for a few years now. Many of these developments have been discussed here On CleanTechnica. IKEA is not only making progress in the field of electric vehicles, but also in the field of electric vehicles charging infrastructure as well as on the application of renewable energy sources such as solar energy. IKEA aims to become climate positive by 2030 by reducing more greenhouse gas emissions than the IKEA value chain emits, while growing the IKEA business.
Now the IKEA franchisor has just added a more sustainable alternative transport solution for home delivery: solar-powered cargo bikes. They added the SunRider solar powered cargo bike. Last year, the IKEA store in Delft, the Netherlands, completed a pilot with a solar-powered cargo bike for delivering products to its customers in the city center around the store. After evaluating the pilot, the global IKEA franchisor (Inter IKEA Systems BV) has now decided to scale up and enable all IKEA retailers around the world to add a more sustainable, accessible and cost-effective alternative to their home delivery fleet within their market .
“This SunRider bike can accommodate about 90 percent of the IKEA product range and emits 98 percent less CO2 than modern diesel vans. For IKEA, it is important to explore new ways to improve the service offering to customers, both from a more sustainable, affordable and accessible perspective. The solar-powered cargo bike does all of that,” says Helene Davidsson, Sustainability Manager, Inter IKEA Systems BV
The SunRider cargo bike has a 1.6 kWh lithium-ion battery that is charged using the integrated 545Wp solar panels. The load space is suitable for 1 standard EU pallet and can carry up to 150 kg. On a full battery, the bicycle has a range of approximately 100 km, depending on route conditions and cycle of use. The 545Wp solar panels on board mean that on nice sunny days the battery can be fully charged by the solar panels, giving an extra 100km and is also ideal for places with weak and intermittent grids or remote off-grid areas.
Discover the future of Deloitte 2020 Predictions for UK Technology, Media and Telecommunications also summarizes the appeal of e-bikes. The battery support makes pedaling a lot easier and longer. Average speeds on e-bikes can be up to 50% higher compared to standard bikes. The battery assist also makes acceleration on takeoff much easier after stops.
Riders also get a power boost when going uphill, carrying heavy loads, facing a headwind and in case a rider encounters a combination of all of these things at the same time. All this, combined with real-time tracking via apps, makes e-bikes and especially the cargo versions perfect for home delivery. Cargo bikes are therefore extremely suitable for last mile delivery for companies such as IKEA.
“We want to meet more people and many of our future customers will live in cities with limited access to transportation. This challenge is a great opportunity to discover new ways to make our products available. The solar-powered cargo bike will be a valuable addition to last-mile service, as it offers a quiet, zero-emissions alternative that can also bypass traffic congestion,” added Davidsson. Finding new logistics and customer handling solutions that can meet the needs of urban environments and increased e-commerce, while also being kind to the climate, the environment and colleagues, helps IKEA to focus on its priority areas of sustainability, affordability and accessibility.
Image courtesy of IKEA
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