New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS): Hero Lectro Cargo (HLC) and online food delivery platform Swiggy have partnered to pilot the deployment of cargo e-bikes for the use case of last-mile food delivery.

Swiggy, which has already been planning to include EVs in its fleet, will be utilising Hero Lectro's WINN, a purpose-built e-bike, in a bid to optimise efficiency, cost and reduce carbon footprint by going green, said a statement by Hero Lectro Cargo.

Starting August, Swiggy in association with Fast Despatch Logistics (a leading last-mile delivery service provider) and A.S. Group {a familiar name in PBS (Public Bike Sharing) space} is launching a pilot in Hyderabad with Hero Lectro WINN, wherein the delivery partners will be making the food deliveries on the cargo E-bikes.

The initiative has been launched in line with Swiggy's larger commitment to increase the adoption of EVs in its delivery fleet.

"With the launch of this pilot, we are confident that it will enable greater adoption and use of e-mobility. The concept of Cargo E-bikes is only going to be more and more acceptable once the experience spreads since the host of benefits it offers actually comes at zero tradeoff," said Partha Choudhary, President and CEO, Hero Lectro Cargo.

Shivcharan Pulugurtha, SVP, Business Operations at Swiggy said: "At Swiggy, we are committed to facilitating last-mile delivery for all our customers in the most sustainable/environment-friendly way possible. Our association with Hero Lectro Cargo and Fast Despatch Logistics to pilot the use of electric vehicles (EVs) for the use case of food delivery reflects this commitment.

Their affordable and purpose-built cargo bicycles will not only enable us to reduce our carbon footprint but will also help reduce the cost of delivery per km for Swiggy's delivery partners, Pulugurtha said.