How Cargo E-Bikes Can Improve Last-Mile Delivery in Cities
Written by: Rémy Rossi | May 24, 2025 | Time to read 4 min
Cargo bike couriers are on the rise, replacing gas-guzzling delivery vans. Find out how electric cargo bikes are quietly transforming the way cities move goods, cutting costs and carbon in one smooth ride.
More about the Author: Remy Rossi
Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.
Electric bikes aren’t only good for moving people around our dense, bustling cities. City e-Bikes are convenient and comfortable for commuters, but there’s a whole other side to urban transportation logistics that could use a sprinkling of e-Bike magic, too— the so-called “last-mile” delivery of parcels.
By replacing larger vans, electric cargo bikes are unlocking better efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of cargo delivery and urban freight. Of course, my bike messenger friends already know this and have long participated in moving goods quickly around the city on two wheels. But the benefits of cargo e-Bikes are now hitting the mainstream and stand to significantly improve urban logistics, and here’s the latest.
By replacing larger vans, electric cargo bikes are unlocking better efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of cargo delivery and urban freight. Of course, my bike messenger friends already know this and have long participated in moving goods quickly around the city on two wheels. But the benefits of cargo e-Bikes are now hitting the mainstream and stand to significantly improve urban logistics, and here’s the latest.
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The last-mile delivery problem
Logistics, shipping, and deliveries are complex, and one of the trickiest bits comes at the end of the line. “Last-mile” delivery is the process of getting packages from the central warehouse to the actual homes or businesses of customers. And this final step is often the most complicated and carbon-intensive, accounting for up to 50% of total delivery carbon emissions in cities, though typically closer to 30%.
And these numbers are only getting worse. As e-commerce has grown significantly, so too has the demand for last-mile deliveries and the share of carbon emissions from urban delivery traffic. Most of these deliveries are completed by gas-powered vans, adding to the pollution levels, street congestion, and parking issues in urban areas.
Logistics is a huge industry with tons of resources flowing towards efforts to increase efficiency and decrease costs for shipping companies. Basically, there’s a lot of money involved— think about big names like DHL— and it’s in their interest to improve their systems. Hopefully, economic incentives and urban regulations also align, and the network cuts down on emissions.
The effectiveness of e-cargo bikes has motivated many recent studies on logistics models, network design, and freight simulations. This is all pretty sciency stuff, but these for-profit companies need to be sure of the efficacy of e-Bikes— and the assessments are quite positive.
E-cargo bikes & last-mile logistics
There’s exciting research coming out about the benefits of using electric cargo bikes for last-mile deliveries. Commuters and bike messengers already know firsthand how agile bikes are in the city— well capable of slipping past traffic and far easier to park— but having data to back it up is necessary as cities improve bike infrastructure and companies look to use more e-Bikes.
A recent study of cargo bikes in Brussels, for example, found that cargo bikes are twice as efficient compared to delivery vans and up to 10 times cheaper to operate, in addition to reducing congestion and pollution. The cargo bikes had shorter routes, faster average speeds, and parked closer to delivery points.
Another study showed that up to 51% of all freight journeys in European cities could be replaced by a cargo bike. A 2021 London study demonstrated that cargo e-bikes can complete deliveries around 60% faster than vans and also have a carbon footprint that’s lower than even electric delivery vans.
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Cargo e-Bikes have proven benefits for delivery companies and can be game changers for small businesses, too. An electric cargo bike is also great for personal use, from hauling items around town or easily transporting kids.
Cargo e-Bikes are larger and more complex than standard electric bikes, increasing the cost, sometimes by thousands. Upway has got you covered with a huge selection of high-quality cargo e-Bikes from top brands like Yuba, Benno, Aventon, and more, with savings of up to 60%. All Upway e-Bikes are professionally certified, including a 14-day return policy and a one-year warranty.
Key Takeaways
- Up to half of urban freight deliveries could be done by cargo e-Bikes, reducing emissions, improving delivery times, and easing traffic.
- Electric cargo bikes are more efficient and cheaper than delivery vans, especially in dense urban settings.
- Companies like DHL and cities like London and Brussels are proving that cargo e-Bikes aren’t just viable— they’re superior.
