Friday, 4 October 2024
InfrastructureNews

Clean Air day marked with launch of zero emissions cargo bike logistics biz Zedify

A new zero emissions electric cargo bike business with UK-wide ambitions is launching today under the Zedify banner.

Tying in with Clean Air Day, the founders of the business are Rob King who already operated Cambridge’s Outspoken Delivery and Sam Keam who also ran Brighton’s Recharge Cargo. The two businesses now merge to form the early building blocks of a business that plans to service the UK with a growing network of zero-emissions delivery hubs.

The business launches serving six locations across the UK – central London, Glasgow, Cambridge Waltham Forest, Brighton and Norwich. Investment in technology will quickly allow expansion, we’re told. They aim to be able to offer a zero emission service in all urban areas in the near future, starting with Edinburgh next month.

Zedify’s co-founder, Rob King, says: “Demand for deliveries to door and desk is booming, but our cities just can’t cope with ever-increasing numbers of diesel vans contributing to the toxic mix of poor air-quality and increased congestion. Businesses, especially retailers, need to step up and decouple the last mile of their deliveries to more sustainable services – which Zedify now enables them to do.”

Working alongside technology company Skotkonung, Zedify will look to become a logistics option for businesses seeking to improve not only their track record on emissions, but also last mile delivery time.

Goods at Zedify’s city centre depots are sorted into local, digitally-tracked delivery rounds and sent to their final addresses by specially adapted cargo bikes carrying up to 250 kilos – or electric vans if needed. Customers include online retailers, logistics carriers such as TNT, as well as local businesses for across town deliveries.

Zedify’s other co-founder, Sam Keam says: “A whopping 90% of millennial shoppers say they prefer to buy from companies with a social or environmental purpose. If their online order arrives by bike, then that’s a big, and very visual, statement. For the first time, progressive brands can deliver the environmentally friendly services their customers demand, while maintaining their expectations around cost and speed.”

Cargo bike delivery has been proven in the majority of cases (excluding only the hilliest of cities) to save businesses money and time.