Domino’s had a specific problem. The pizza giant needed to cut down on noise and pollution from its delivery fleet. Switching to electric scooters was the obvious answer. But there was a catch. Fitting a charging infrastructure into a busy corporate environment isn’t easy. It has to be safe. It has to be affordable. And it has to actually work when you’re trying to get hot pizzas to customers on time.
Sodetrel, a company that specializes in electric mobility, came up with a surprisingly straightforward fix. They didn’t build a massive, industrial-grade charging station. Instead, they created what they call a “bornette.”
The 3kW Standard for Urban Fleets
This “bornette” is essentially a compact charging unit equipped with three standard household-style outlets. Each outlet delivers 3 kW of power. That might sound modest, but it’s precisely what’s needed for most urban delivery scooters.
The math works out for a typical daily cycle. With a 3 kW charge, a scooter battery can reach a full state of charge in about six hours. That’s enough time for a delivery driver to sleep, work a shift, or just be out of the way while their vehicle powers up. No complex high-voltage infrastructure. No specialized electrical contractors needed for every single unit.
Why This Matters for Last-Mile Delivery
The beauty of this setup is its scalability. You don’t need a dedicated garage or a complex power grid upgrade to roll this out. It plugs into existing domestic-standard circuits. This makes it ideal for dense urban areas where space is premium and electrical capacity is often stretched thin.
“This solution, more friendly with the urban environment, is intended to be distributed to other delivery companies.”
Sodetrel designed this with the broader logistics industry in mind. Domino’s was just the first major test case. The goal is to roll this out to other delivery firms who are under similar pressure to go green but lack the resources for elaborate charging networks.
The Noise Factor
Reducing emissions is only half the battle. Urban noise pollution is a growing complaint in cities worldwide. Traditional gas-powered delivery bikes are loud. They grind gears and sputter at idle. Electric scooters? Silent. Or nearly so.
By switching to electric, Domino’s isn’t just cutting carbon. It’s making its drivers less intrusive. That’s a tangible benefit for neighborhoods that deal with delivery trucks all day long. It’s not just about being “green.” It’s about being a less annoying neighbor.
Is This the Future of Local Delivery?
It’s a simple idea. Three plugs. 3 kW each. Six hours to full charge. But it works. For companies looking to electrify their last-mile fleet without breaking the bank or their building’s electrical panel, this is a pragmatic path forward.
You wonder how many other franchises will copy this. Probably not many. But for those who do, the infrastructure headaches vanish. No more waiting for specialized chargers. No more complicated billing systems for electricity use. Just plug in. Charge up. Deliver.
The technology isn’t new. The execution is what matters. And for Domino’s, it was simple enough to actually scale.
