Focus on sustainability as Evri stumps up £19 million and preps UK’s biggest fleet of e-cargo bikes for parcel delivery

UK parcel delivery company, Evri, has announced a £19 million investment in new plans to fast track the roll-out of electric cargo bikes.

The move, which is expected to give Evri the UK’s biggest fleet of e-cargo bikes for parcel delivery, are part of a wider £19 million investment in sustainability.

This will see Evri grow its fleet of e-cargo bikes from 33 to 99 and electric vehicles (EVs) from 168 to 270 within the next year.

The firm also has plans to grow its fleet of electric cargo bikes to 3,000 over the next decade - as part of its wider plans to reduce carbon emissions across its network and become a net-zero company by 2035.

Evri has established a dedicated "final mile electrification taskforce" which will spearhead innovative solutions, explore partnerships, and implement strategies to transform last mile deliveries into a zero-emission operation.

Evri already has electric cargo bikes operating in London, Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge and the company currently delivers 1.5 million parcels a year, by bike or EV.

It aims to triple that number to around four million over the next year. These deliveries are part of the more than 720 million parcels that Evri delivers each year.

Martijn De Lange, CEO at Evri, says: “Pedal power will rev up our efforts to reimagine parcel deliveries in the UK as we aim to become the biggest operator of e-cargo bikes in the sector.”

“We achieved a 9% decrease in carbon emissions since last year. The £19 million investment announced today will lay the groundwork for Evri to dial up on its ambition to become the UK’s most sustainable parcel carrier.”

The permanent fleet of electric cargo bikes deliver the “last mile” of urban parcel deliveries — moving a parcel from a local transportation depot to its destination. Each bike has a capacity of about 2,000 litres, meaning it can deliver around 110 parcels in one go.

With zero tailpipe emissions a single parcel delivery by e-cargo bike can be expected to produce up to a 250g carbon saving alone.

The growth to delivering four million parcels a year by e-cargo bike could save carbon equivalent to the amount created by driving over 400,000 miles, potentially reducing air and noise pollution as well as helping with congestion on the roads.

The company also plans to replace diesel vehicles used on its ParcelShop, and SME collection routes. Evri will add 148 EVs to its fleet, before its busy Christmas period this year, with a further 122 joining the fleet in spring 2025.

This will see electric vans account for over half of its ParcelShop drop-offs and collections. To support these vehicles Evri will continue expansion of its own EV charging infrastructure investing over £1 million in this across its depot network and hubs.

This will be complemented by the expansion of its ‘out of home’ (OOH) estate. Evri’s OOH network is currently believed to be the largest in the UK with more than 15,000 locations which include Tesco Express stores and Post Office branches. 

Pauline Potter, Director of Procurement and Sustainability at Evri, says: “We are committed to making a positive impact on the environment and delivering a sustainable future.”

“We are not just investing in technology, but also in our people, empowering them to be part of the solution. Together, we can build a more sustainable future for the parcel delivery industry, as well as the communities we serve.”