After Amazon and DHL, another big-name company is investing in soft mobility for short deliveries, also known as last-mile deliveries. Ikea plans to start rolling out the use of solar-powered electric cargo bikes, after a first successful pilot project in the Netherlands.

The use of cargo bikes, in this case electric and solar-powered cargo bikes, aims to reduce the climate footprint of home deliveries. In the case of Ikea, it comes in addition to other experiments, such as the use of electric vans. In Paris, the Swedish retailer has even been using the River Seine for some time now, transporting certain orders in adapted containers by boat from Gennevilliers to the port of Bercy, before being delivered to homes with an electric vehicle.

As for the use of cargo bikes, which Ikea is now seeking to develop, the decision comes as a result of a first trial that was carried out in 2022 at the Ikea store in Delft, in the Netherlands. There, a solar-powered cargo bike was specially dedicated to delivering certain products to locations near the store. Gradually, these bicycles should be rolled out worldwide to the group's various stores.

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The retailer's bike is designed to transport nearly 90% of the products sold by Ikea today, emitting 98% less CO2 than a diesel van.

Reducing CO2 emissions is a key concern for delivery firms, who are now faced with the challenge of transitioning away from fossil fuels. In the United States, many initiatives are already being implemented, such as the startup URB-E, which provides cargo bikes to delivery personnel in New York and Los Angeles.

Similarly, the US Postal Service (USPS) is testing a means of delivering mail and packages using electric cargo bikes in Florida. Meanwhile, Amazon recently announced that it has deployed its first fleet of electric cargo bikes in London.