When it comes to getting food delivered, cars aren’t always the easiest, fastest way.
Domino’s underscored that point today by announcing a new program that will equip Domino’s locations across the U.S. with an e-bike option for delivery.
The custom e-bikes come courtesy of a partnership with Seattle-based e-bike maker Rad Power Bikes. According to a press release, Domino’s has been testing these two-wheeled vehicles in stores around Houston, Miami, and New York. The company will deploy the bikes throughout those cities as well as Salt Lake City and Baltimore later this year.
Bikes can run for 25 to 40 miles before needing a recharge. They include front and rear cargo areas, which are insulated so they can keep pizza hot and drinks cold en route to customers’ doorsteps. One e-bike can hold up to 12 pizzas.
With two out of three people likely to be living in cities by 2050, bike delivery via pedaled vehicles is becoming more of the norm in more places, and Domino’s isn’t the only company to be trying out the method for food delivery. Uber, who owns the Uber Eats platform, bought e-bike maker Jump in 2018, and Postmates has been testing e-bike initiatives since 2017.
E-bikes, meanwhile, are another area in which Domino’s is dabbling in ways to get pizzas to its customers faster. In June, the company announced a partnership with Chevrolet to make in-car ordering available to customers as well as a partnership with Nuro for autonomous delivery in Houston.
In the press release, Tom Curtis, Domino’s executive vice president of corporate operations, said the company saw improvement in delivery and service with the new e-bike program. He also noted that e-bike delivery allows stores to hire from a wider pool of candidates, including those who might not own a car or driver’s license.
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