Just two electric cargo vans have been added to the delivery fleet for the time being. The service will be trialled in Cape Town, servicing express deliveries (within three hours or less) to the Southern Suburbs, City Centre, and Atlantic Seaboard. If successful, the retailer will be looking to expand into Johannesburg from its Gauteng Warehouse.
The online retailer of natural and sustainable products is among the first to launch these locally-made three-wheeler vans in partnership with Carbon Neutral Express. These cars, produced by MellowVans, emit no carbon emissions because they run on lithium batteries - not fossil fuels, which make economic and environmental sense considering most urban trips are around 5 km or less, according to Faithful to Nature.
“We’ve always been conscious of our deliveries’ carbon footprint, so when the opportunity arose to use electric vehicles, we were ready for it. We are excited to be using electric vehicles made in South Africa, as supporting local and sustainable organisations has always been at the forefront of what we do,” says Paul Cook, CEO of Faithful to Nature.
“Not only will this reduce our carbon footprint, but it also means our customers will benefit from lower express delivery costs, which will decrease dramatically. Orders over R400 will cost only R40, and orders under R400 only R20. It’s better for our planet and our customers,” Cook continues.
Faithful to Nature has taken several steps to improve its environmental impact in the last two years, including introducing carbon-neutral deliveries and 100% plastic-free shipping. Most recently, the business achieved the B Corp certification by being the first African retailer to be awarded this globally recognised certification.
