The news
- Food delivery startup, Glovo has partnered with EV manufacturer, Siltech to use its EV products and services for delivery in some parts of Lagos Nigeria.
- The partnership could help the delivery company save costs on petrol and maintenance for internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles.
- While Glovo hasn't started using the EV service ecosystem yet, Siltech believes it is a proof of concept.
The high cost of petrol has been disadvantageous to most businesses in Nigeria and the economy at large. However, it has caused some people and businesses to consider EVs as an alternative to petrol-powered vehicles.
One of the businesses considering the EV alternative is Glovo. The company has partnered with Siltech to use EV bikes for deliveries in some parts of Lagos.
Siltech CEO, Tolu Williams confirmed the partnership saying that Glovo has essentially signed on to its products and services which entails its charging stations, after sales services, technical support, and access to battery swaps.
He said the first pilot will start in Ikate, Lekki and Victoria Island Lagos, locations where Siltech has charging and battery swap stations.
These swap stations cut down hours of battery charge into minutes. The Siltech Ginsu bikes that will be used by Glovo riders will also have this feature, making it possible for them to swap a drained battery full charged one in minutes.
Williams, however, said that per the terms of the partnership, Glovo will still pay for its services but at a discounted price. He maintained that the price will be more cost-effective for Glovo than petrol.
Although the partnership has been signed by both companies, a Glovo spokesperson stated that deliveries with the EV bikes will not begin for a few months.
When it starts Williams estimates a significant cost reduction in EV services as Siltech will be providing multiple services to Glovo.
Siltech recently went from just manufacturing EVs to offering complete EV services in what Williams calls an EV ecosystem. It already has a Tesla owner and a number of EV users use the ecosystem for charging and other EV services.
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