“It was my experience as a restaurateur that pushed me to create electrically assisted bicycles specially designed to meet my own needs and the evolution of the market”
“Stop” the thermal scooter
Othman Razine is the co-founder of VelyVelo, the startup which provides and manages fleets of electrically assisted bicycles dedicated to foodtech. In 2015, Othman Razine and his partner Jamil el Garti, owners of three fast food companies, suffered a significant drop in turnover caused by the arrival of new smartfood players such as Uber Eat and Deliveroo. In a race to optimise costs, and judging the use of their combustion scooters for deliveries to be too expensive, they decided to look at alternative solutions: " Beyond the environmental impact, a thermal scooter is not made to be started 20 to 30 times a day. Add to this the reduced lifespan, the cost of gasoline and insurance, it quickly became clear to us that the thermal scooter was no longer the most suitable solution for delivery” Othman explains to us.
Delivery by bicycle with electric assistance
Stop the thermal scooter? Yes but why ? The two co-founders then decided to turn to electric-assisted bicycles: “ As there was no electric bike supplier dedicated to delivery professionals, we decided to create our own bikes to carry out our deliveries”
Firstly, they purchase electric bikes existing on the market then adapt them to the specificities of “foodtech” delivery through an assembly of spare parts: “Our main challenge was to modify these personal electric bikes so that they were viable in intensive delivery use of up to 30 to 100 km per day. » This is the start of the VelyVelo adventure!
In 2017, the two co-founders integrated a few modified electric bikes into their restaurant fleet to test them in real conditions: “This phase was very important in finalizing the project. We were able to make some adjustments so that the electrically assisted bikes perfectly answer to the problems of delivery professionals”
The benefits of the electrical solution
But what are the benefits of an electric bike for delivery?
The environmental approach / Eco-responsible image
Because yes, let's emphasize the transition from thermal scooter to electric bike is a step in favor of the environment!
The cost
Three different vehicles are currently used for home meal delivery:
- The thermal scooter, which is the historic vehicle
- The electric scooter supposed to be an alternative to the thermal scooter
- And the electric bike which is the solution provided by VelyVelo.
VelyVelo has tested its bikes for more than 2 years and the result is undisputed: The electric bike remains much more affordable than the electric scooter and allows savings of almost 50% (cheaper gasoline, insurance, spare parts). As for electric scooters, they always remain more expensive because spare parts are expensive on the market.
Lifetime
While a thermal scooter intended for delivery is not made to be started 20 to 30 times a day, VelyVelo electrically assisted bicycles are designed for intensive use. The lifespan is therefore greatly increased. Since its creation, the bikes are still usable, more than 2 years of use.
Paris, the cycling city
If we told you that cycling is the second fastest means of transport in Paris (after the metro), would you believe us? And yes, according to a test carried out in July 2019 by journalists from Le Parisien (http://www.leparisien.fr/paris-75/paris-on-a-teste-nation-place-de-la-concorde-en-voiture-scooter-velo-et-trottinette-14-07-2019-8116647.php), it is now faster to travel by bike in Paris on journeys of less than 5 km. Since 2008, all streets limited to 30 are required to have a two-way cycle path. A great opportunity for cyclists and bicycle delivery people to find a more direct path through the capital's traffic jams and thus reduce travel time!
Simplified recruitment
One of the major difficulties for the restaurateur is to recruit delivery people with a BSR (Road Safety Certificate). With the use of electrically assisted bicycles, recruitment becomes easier.
Turnkey formula
The VelyVelo solution is not only an innovative bicycle but also an innovative service because the startup offers a turnkey formula including rental but also theft insurance, maintenance, intervention for repair, training and support for delivery men. VelyVelo thus makes life easier for restaurateurs who now only have one contact.
But what do restaurateurs think of this solution? Othman explains to us: “ When we approach a customer, we always offer to have them test our solution using a GPS survey. The differences with their scooters are so significant that they are convinced! »
The VelyVelo adventure
In 2019, the adventure continues since VelyVelo manages to convinced the jury of the Paris&Co incubator to integrate them into their 4nd promotion dedicated to the theme of sustainable cities. The startup is developing in a dedicated ecosystem surrounded by experts.
Building on this Label, the teams are expanding with the arrival of a woman Asmaa Chakir Alaoui, after having spent nearly 8 years in Consulting with Start-ups. Her challenge today is to make VelyVelo a key player in urban mobility.
With a fleet of 150 bikes, many big names in catering have believed in the VelyVelo solution, such as Dominos Pizza, Just Eat and even a few independent restaurateurs.
Currently in the industrialization phase, the startup will receive its first industrialized bicycles in the last quarter of 2019 and will have around 200 bicycles by the end of January 2020... But the order book is already full.
To know more : http://velyvelo.com/
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