[Exclusive] Before Baemin... Coupang Eats Riders Ride Electric Motorcycles

Coupang Eats to Introduce Electric Motorcycles as Early as This Month with 20+ Units in Pilot Operation
Test Beds Selected in Seocho and Gangnam Considering Charging Infrastructure
Baemin Also Conducts Own Tests... Delivery Industry Transportation Changes Accelerate

Coupang Eats rider. [Photo by Coupang Eats]

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] Delivery platform Coupang Eats is set to introduce electric motorcycles as early as this month. Coupang Eats will pilot the electric motorcycles in the Seocho and Gangnam districts of Seoul to test their suitability for delivery. Although the initial number of units introduced will be only a few dozen, the number is expected to reach thousands once the use of electric motorcycles becomes widespread. As the importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management grows daily across various industries, it is anticipated that the delivery sector will actively adopt electric motorcycles.

According to industry sources on the 16th, Coupang Eats will operate about 20 electric motorcycles on a trial basis in the Seocho and Gangnam areas of Seoul. Depending on the results of the pilot operation, Coupang Eats is also considering expanding the introduction of electric motorcycles nationwide. The initial distribution will focus on riders directly employed by Coupang Eats, known as ‘Its Friends.’

The reason Seocho and Gangnam were chosen as testbeds lies in the charging infrastructure. There are about 22 electric motorcycle-exclusive charging stations in Seocho and Gangnam, accounting for most of the 30 stations across the Seoul metropolitan area. This is because the pilot project for electric motorcycle distribution, promoted by the Ministry of Environment and local governments, is centered around the Gangnam area. Due to battery capacity and specifications, electric motorcycles cannot share chargers with electric cars and must use dedicated charging stations. This means that operating electric motorcycles on a trial basis outside Seocho and Gangnam would require significant investment in charging infrastructure. Another advantage of electric motorcycle charging stations is that fully charged batteries can be swapped on-site within 1 to 2 minutes.

Seocho and Gangnam are also considered ‘strategic strongholds’ in the delivery industry for another reason. The three Gangnam districts (Seocho, Gangnam, Songpa) have high population density and income levels, and marketing effects through word of mouth are significant, making them battlegrounds for the delivery industry. In fact, Coupang Eats focused its marketing efforts on the three Gangnam districts during the early stages of its service in 2019 to grow its presence. Recently, it entered the quick commerce market and selected Songpa District as a pilot service area.

(Table) Trends in the Number of Registered Two-Wheeled Vehicles

Following the e-commerce industry, changes in transportation means are expected to accelerate in the delivery market as well. Previously, e-commerce companies such as Shinsegae SSG.com and Coupang have been developing eco-friendly vehicles like electric cars as next-generation delivery vehicles. Woowa Brothers, the operator of Baedal Minjok, is also considering the introduction of electric motorcycles. A Woowa Brothers representative stated, "We are conducting internal tests with several electric motorcycles to see if there are any issues with delivery," adding, "No decision has been made yet regarding their introduction."

Environmental regulations are also expected to have an impact. Currently, government eco-friendly regulations for commercial vehicles focus on four-wheeled vehicles, but it is considered only a matter of time before two-wheeled vehicles come under regulatory scrutiny. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of registered two-wheeled vehicles last year was 2,289,009, an increase of 127,235 compared to 2,161,774 in 2015, five years earlier. Professor Ho-geun Lee of Daeduk University’s Department of Automotive Engineering said, "The carbon emission issue of riders will soon become an unavoidable problem," adding, "Vietnam, where motorcycle usage is high, is already preparing regulations to ban internal combustion engine motorcycles in major cities starting in 2030."