Domino's Launches E-Bike Delivery To Compete With UberEats, DoorDash (techcrunch.com) 38
Domino's is planning to become more competitive with on-demand apps like DoorDash, GrubHub and UberEats by delivering pizzas with custom electric bikes. According to TechCrunch, the pizza company has partnered with Rad Power Bikes to deploy hundreds of e-bikes across corporate-owned stores later this year in Baltimore, Houston, Miami and Salt Lake City. From the report: The e-bikes supplied by Rad Power Bikes are equipped with small integrated motors to assist with pedaling, and can run for 25 to 40 miles, depending on the user, before needing a recharge, according to the company. The bikes are equipped with lights in the front and back, reflective materials for driver safety and have a top assisted speed of 20 miles per hour. Importantly, the e-bikes have been customized to hold pizza, drinks and sides. One e-bike can hold up to 12 large pizzas. The company tested the e-bikes and discovered that service and delivery times improved, Tom Curtis, Domino's executive vice president of corporate operations, said in the announcement. The e-bikes also opened up the labor pool for the company, allowing it to tap into candidates who might not have a car or driver's license. Some franchisee owners were already using e-bikes and found they are essential in hilly urban areas.
Just like China now (Score:2)
These have been there for years. The most brightly colored are the McDonald's delivery bikes.
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Another stupid, pointless gimmick that will be gone in a year, if it lasts that long.
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This.
Our inevitable descent into third world status continues relentlessly.
Re: Just like China now (Score:2)
Have you been to Detroit in the last 30 years? It's not exactly "third world" - more like "failed state".
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These have been there for years. The most brightly colored are the McDonald's delivery bikes.
We're still waiting for the Deliverator.
Toronto (Score:2)
Already seen them doing this in Toronto
Perhaps (Score:2)
Tune in next week when Dominoes announces a pizza someone with functioning tastebuds would want to eat.
Cold pizza (Score:2)
20 miles per hour? Domino's customers must love cold pizza.
Average Speed in London (Score:1)
The average speed in London has dropped below 8mph. Cycles are simply faster than cars.
Re: Average Speed in London (Score:2)
Pretty much. In Boston, I can get around much faster on a bicycle than a car. For starters, I can keep up with any speed a car can do in that traffic. Plus, not being being stuck for 2 cycles at the light when someone decides to block the box from the wrong direction is nice.
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20 miles per hour? Domino's customers must love cold pizza.
Maybe. A lot of dense urban environments, you aren't going to do much better speed than that by car, if even that well.
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MOST places in the US are not dense urban environments.
Also, how do these bikes delivering pizza fare in heavy rains? Snow? Blisterning heat/humidity....delivering pizzas in my part of the country this time of year would likely cause late pizza due to delivery riders having heat stroke, even in the evenings.
Also, with bicycle, I'd have to imagine ride isn't as smooth as in a car...hence
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Why do you think all those grade-schools across the US have been dropping eggs in cartons for so many years? To build a better egg carton? NO! it's to eventually exploit techniques for a better pizza box!
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My question is what will they do when it's raining, cold, or snowing? The days when I would rather order delivery because even walking to my car would suck.
Australia has been doing it for years (Score:2)
I have a crazy new competitor (Score:2)
Re: I have a crazy new competitor (Score:1)
Apart from it is really get of your fat arse and drive, park, queue drive and park. If they don't use a car they probably wouldn't bother getting delivery.
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I have a friend that bikes all over but there are days when the weather is just to bad to bike or the trip is just to far in those cases he has a car. If he is ordering delivery chances are no one would want to be biking on that day to begin with. I drive and generally wouldn't wait for delivery unless it was nasty cold, rainy, or snowing.
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Well to be fair, about the only times you're ordering Domino's or other delivery pizza, is late at night when you're drunk and shouldn't be out driving to get food...
OR....the next day, you're hungover on the couch and don't feel much like dressing and driving in the sunlight to get food, and just need something delivered.
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-get off your fat ass and get your food yourself. I think it's popular because it burns calories, which makes up for the food-
Would that be running several miles to and from the pizza place? Kinda hard to burn that many calories.
I remember trying to pack on the pounds so I could get bigger for heavier lifts in power lifting... I was surprised to find that a large pizza was nearly 3,000 calories. And looking up a "running calculator" and just tossing in a few things... A 30 year old male at 6' weighing 200lbs, running at a 12 minute mile pace for 2 hours.... would only burn around 1,391kcal. Add on to the fact that you burn
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Still talking to yourself, dumbass?
Think ebikes are great (Score:1)
Love the rise of ebikes, especially in hilly area. I want one, but I do think there is a difference between pedal assist and push button to go which are really motor vehicles, and should be treated as such.
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The fedlaw actually uses 750 watts max and top speed of 25 MPH with a 170lb rider as the criteria.
http://www.electricstar.org/th... [electricstar.org]
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You've misquoted the article and haven't defined what these "criteria" relate to. Federal law defines what safety regulations apply to products for sale, not how the products are used.
Re: Think ebikes are great (Score:2)
The federal law determines what's considered a bicycle and what's considered a motor vehicle, and specifically overrides state laws to the contrary.
Re: Think ebikes are great (Score:2)
Also, you're right, it says 20 MPH. Not 25. I stand corrected.
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How many have a "push button to go" and why would that define them as "motor vehicles" which is a specific legal classification of vehicles which e-bikes certainly are not?
Winter (Score:2)
Re: Winter (Score:1)
Ebikes with fat tires won't have problems especially cargo bikes.
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Of course it's faster: but... (Score:2)
How many of the deliveries are faster because the riders are ignoring traffic laws?
Lie (Score:1)
Cycles are just faster is the bottom line. They don't need to break any laws. Pretending they need to is just weird. Cycles where I live are faster because previous infrastructure (before cars) and dedicated new infrastructure make them faster.
The big win though is parking.
Been available in Sydney for months (Score:2)
Seen more than a few Domino's bikes of this kind, some even have a mini trailer attached.