Jumia has announced it is partnering with California-based EV solutions – BILITI Electric, maker of electric TukTuks – to help electrify its delivery fleet in Kenya. The company has said they’ve successfully completed the pilot project and will be scaling the electric fleet of TukTuks within Kenya. Later on, they will expand across Africa.
The e-commerce company says the partnership is essential towards Africa’s progress in the e-mobility industry, so as to achieve the environmental sustainability goals.
About the BILITI Electric Taskman TukTuks Jumia will be using:
- Designed for commercial last-mile deliveries
- Offers a range of 100 km per charge
- Carries payload of 500 kg
- Attains top speed of 50 km/h.
- BILITI’s SmartSwappTM technology enables the rider to simply swap the vehicle battery and get recharged in less than a minute.
Jumia says these TukTuks offer African communities cleaner air and economic opportunity. An additional benefit is that delivery agents can earn more money by switching from fossil-fuel motorcycles to these e-vans, allowing them to deliver more orders more quickly and efficiently.
In Kenya in 2020, around 92% of the electricity used in the country was generated from renewables, including hydropower, geothermal, solar PV, and wind. Kenya is targeting 100% clean energy use by 2030.
“Leveraging technology to improve everyday lives in Africa,” is the first pillar of JUMIA’s sustainability strategy. “We are committed to building a supply chain that will minimize the environmental impact of our operations. The introduction of these e-Vans (TukTuks) to our delivery fleet is an integral milestone in our journey towards realizing our ESG objectives,” said Jumia Kenya CEO, Juan Seco
“We are thrilled about this partnership with JUMIA and the important role we will play in helping the company progress towards its sustainability and ESG goals. Last-mile delivery costs account for 53% of the total cost of shipping. EVs help save on high costs compared to any internal combustion engine vehicle. We are confident that we will be able to help JUMIA to offer faster, clean, cheaper, and more convenient last-mile deliveries,” said Rahul Gayam, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of BILITI Electric.
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