We’ve taken a big step forward towards our global sustainability goal of being emission-free by 2040 in Sri Lanka. We have brought onboard 100 electric cycles for deliveries on Uber Eats in Sri Lanka. Just last year, we became the first platform to introduce cycle deliveries in the country. 

The e-cycles launched as ‘Voltage Edition’ are manufactured by Lumala, the country’s largest cycle manufacturer, and have been especially designed for deliveries. They have a range of up to 100 kilometers and top speed of up to 30 kilometers per hour. 

The e-cycles can cover longer distances than regular bicycles and are easier to maintain than traditional motorbikes. The cycle battery charges in 4 hours: this makes delivery downtime minimum and reduces expenses versus fuel costs. By making it easier to cover a bigger delivery distance radius with lesser effort, delivery partners will be able to potentially make more deliveries and earn more. 

We’ve sponsored e-cycles worth LKR 42 million for 100 most engaged delivery partners. 90 of these delivery partners were previously using petrol-powered motorbikes while the other 10 were using regular bicycles.  We will also facilitate a 30% discount on the purchase of Lumala e-cycles and 15% discount on spare parts for delivery partners on our platform. 

Hon’ble Power & Energy Minister for Sri Lanka, Kanchana Wijesekera, graced the launch event in Colombo as the Chief Guest, congratulated Uber Eats on its sustainability focus and gave away the e-cycles to select delivery partners. He was joined by the Guest of Honour, Julie J. Cheng, US ambassador to Sri Lanka; along with Mike Orgill, Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, Asia Pacific Region at Uber; and, Pivithuru Kodikara, Interim General Manager, Uber Eats Sri Lanka, among others.  

Kanchana Wijesekera, Hon’ble Power & Energy Minister for Sri Lanka, said, “Technology-led platforms led a paradigm shift by changing the way people move or order food online. Now, they should focus on another big change by promoting green mobility. We need to reduce dependency on fuel and lower our carbon emissions. Investing and building a green economy is one of our top priorities today. We welcome Uber Eats’ decision to onboard electric cycles and are confident that the company will continue to push sustainable mobility in Sri Lanka.”

We had introduced cycle deliveries last year to reduce fuel dependency for delivery partners during the economic crisis. Today, cycle deliveries account for 10 per cent of total deliveries for Uber Eats in Sri Lanka. With e-cycles, we expect this number to go up and pave the way for e-bikes and e-scooters on our platform in the future. 

The Voltage edition e-cycles have been custom designed to compete with electric scooters and motorbikes. They are capable of covering 100+ kilometers on pedal assist on a single charge and can travel 60+ kilometers by throttle full electric cruising. To ensure safer deliveries at all times, they have day-time running lights and LED Projector and LED Tail Light for nighttime visibility. The e-cycles come fitted with a separate storage at the back for delivery bags that are easy to mount and dismount and reduce motor sound on the roads by being virtually silent. 

Recently, Uber Sri Lanka had announced a pilot with Sling Mobility to introduce two-wheeler EVs on our platform. Across Rides and Eats, we will continue to adopt a partnership-led model and join hands with OEMs, fleet partners, EV infrastructure partners, among others to advance sustainable mobility in Sri Lanka.