Careem to use electric motorbikes for deliveries in Dubai

Careem is to begin using electric bikes for some deliveries in Dubai before the end of the year.

The move, to be carried out with help from the Roads and Transport Authority, is part of a push for more carbon-neutral transport.

While the company would not say how many electric bikes would be introduced in the first phase of the project, a senior figure said the goal was to use 1,000 by the end of next year.

“It’s very important to us to improve our region and one way of doing this is to support the net-zero objectives of the UAE,” said Sami Amin, senior director of operations for Careem Bike.

Careem, which operates a ride-hailing app and a food delivery service, currently uses conventional motorbikes for deliveries, describing them as “a major contributor to pollution”.

Electric bikes will improve on costs and emissions, Mr Amin said.

“It will allow us to hopefully continue to drop our delivery costs, which might translate to a cost-saving to our customers by improving the operating costs of our captains [riders],” he said.

“It’s going to help us to reduce our carbon footprint as well. We want to keep pushing that down.”

Dubai, host of the Cop28 climate summit, last week announced plans to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.

In 2021, the UAE unveiled its Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, a Dh600 billion ($163.37 billion) plan to invest in clean and renewable energy sources over the next three decades.

Careem’s riders pay for their fuel, which is standard industry practice, but the company estimates using battery-powered bikes will reduce their costs by at least 15 per cent a month.

The riders may sign for a monthly subscription service that will allow them unlimited battery swaps.

The batteries will be at stations throughout Dubai, Mr Amin said.

The electric bikes will make up a significant percentage of the company’s overall fleet, he said, declining to divulge the exact numbers for competitive reasons.

Any savings would make a huge difference to the lives of riders, an expert said.

“Because of the fluctuations in price, the riders over the past year have spent between Dh630 and Dh800 per month on fuel directly out of their own pockets,” said Adam Ridgway, founder of OneMoto, a manufacturer of electric bikes in the UAE.

OneMoto provides batterypowered bikes to several companies in Dubai.

“We’ve calculated the riders are saving up to 46 per cent per month, in some cases, by using electric bikes instead of combustion engine bikes,” Mr Ridgway said.