Same-day courier firm Stuart Delivery has entered a new partnership with Vok bikes to use its ecargo bikes in London.

Couriers on the Stuart platform will be offered the use of Vok’s electric cargo bikes through a short-term rental model, with no prior financial commitment needed.

The bikes are now available in Croydon and the surrounding areas of South London and will be introduced across London by the end of 2022.

For Stuart, supporting couriers using its platform to adopt more environmentally-friendly transport types is a key part of the company’s strategy to minimise its overall impact on the environment. 

Julien Weyl, head Of sustainability at Stuart UK, said: “Accelerating the transition to low emission vehicles is crucial to reducing our emissions, however couriers on our platform own their own vehicles and are often constrained in their ability to switch to using electric vehicles. 

“Through partnerships with companies equally committed to sustainable mobility, like Vok, we are able to combat this barrier and make it easier for couriers to do so. This will not only contribute to lowering Stuart company emissions but also enable couriers to reduce their own personal carbon footprints too.“

Stuart is also building relationships with charging infrastructure providers as well as financial partners to incentivise and support couriers’ transition process to electric vehicles, which, according to Vok’s research, have proved a 40% higher cost-efficiency compared to deliveries by car. 

In just 18 months, Vok has moved from the first prototype to operating fleets in its home city of Tallinn, as well as Vilnius. Stuart is the latest name to be added to its list of clients which includes Wolt, recently acquired by DoorDash.

Indrek Petjärv, CEO and co-founder of Vok Bikes, said: “Vok Bikes enables delivery platforms to increase efficiency in the booming and super-competitive delivery market, making attracting couriers easier, enabling better working conditions and leveraging a business model that has a great fit with courier lifestyle. We welcome Stuart as an invaluable partner in a mission to make sustainable and efficient last-mile delivery widely available across Europe.”

DHL started a trial of the EAV eCargo bike for its small-item home delivery service in Edinburgh, last month.

FedEx already operates a fleet of e-cargo bikes in London and recently expanded the project in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cambridge.