HELL pedals its pizzas

HELL is investing more than $160,000 in e-bikes to speed up deliveries, improve staff health and reduce its environmental footprint. 

HELL Pizza has put a brand-new fleet of 45 zero-emission electric delivery bikes to work across the country, in order to improve delivery times, increase staff satisfaction and wellbeing, and reduce emissions in New Zealand’s most congested areas. 

“We are always looking for innovative ways to serve our customers,” said HELL general manager Ben Cumming. “Following the successful launch last year of our first two e-bikes at HELL Victoria Street in Auckland’s CBD, we are excited to now expand the service to stores where we believe it will add value.

“As well as cutting emissions from our delivery service, the new e-bikes will provide a faster way in congested areas of getting our pizzas where they need to be – in the hands of our customers.”

In terms of reducing the company’s own carbon footprint, Mr Cumming said that the company’s latest initiative was decided independently of, but chimed well with, the government’s recently revised ‘Zero Carbon Bill’.

“It is doubly pleasing when our initiatives can work for the broader benefit of the whole country,” said Cumming.

The new e-bikes, imported from the US and modified especially for HELL, will be dispatched to selected stores in HELL’s 71-franchise network, with factors such as heavy traffic, lack of parking, scale of area, and frequency of customer orders taken into account when selecting appropriate stores.

To encourage uptake among franchisees, HELL deducted the cost of each bike from their franchise fees, investing more than $160,000 in the initiative. 
No licence is required to ride an e-bike; however, all e-bike delivery staff will receive training and be provided with high-vis clothing and helmets to ensure their safety and the safety of others while out on the road.

The e-bike revolution

Electric bikes (e-bikes) have become increasingly popular in recent years. The Electric Bike World Report estimates a growth to 2 billion by 2050, up from the 200 million said to be pedalling across the globe today. There are thought to be around 40,000 in New Zealand.

Their popularity springs from several key concerns: climate change (e-bikes have zero on-road carbon emissions), ever-increasing traffic congestion and personal well-being.

Using lightweight lithium battery technology, they combine some of the flexibility and health benefits of road cycling with the speed of an electric motor – up to 45kph – meaning that commuters and deliveries can be carried further and faster, with less effort.