Your next Domino's pizza could be delivered by electric bike

When it comes to food delivery, the objective is simple: Get the food to the customer as quickly as possible while maintaining a level of quality that's as close to store-fresh as possible. Domino's has realized that sometimes means using two wheels instead of four. This week, the Michigan-based fast food company announced it is expanding the use of custom-made delivery e-bikes in select cities.

In the past, automobiles were an obvious choice for delivering pizza (and sandwiches, breadsticks, chocolate-filled cookie volcanos, and whatever else Domino's sells now). It was the quickest, most spacious, and most trouble-free method to get the food to its destination. But as cities have become increasingly overcrowded, and traffic and parking have become major interferences, companies such as Domino's are looking at an old delivery method, with a twist.

After testing out electric-power-assisted bicycles in Houston, Miami, and New York this past year (some franchises have already been using bikes for years), Domino's will rollout e-bike deliveries in Miami, Salt Lake City, Baltimore, and Houston. Domino's will use a variation of a Rad Power Bikes that has been structured to carry up to 12 pizzas in total.

The e-bikes use small electric motors that can power the two-wheelers up to 20 mph and can run for 25-40 miles on a single charge. The bikes are designed with front and rear insulated soft-sided cargo areas, reflective materials for visibility, and have lights on the front and rear.

Domino's pointed to many advantages to using the e-bikes. Not only does it make it simpler to carry bigger loads on bikes, it makes deliveries in hilly cities significantly easier and more time-efficient. This also allows Domino's to hire a wider range of prospective workers who might not have licenses to operate cars.