When was the last time you opened your smartphone to order food or do some online shopping? In a busy part of the metro, do you also observe a crowd of car drivers or motorcycle delivery riders, whose services are booked over the internet to bring food, parcels, or passengers from one place to another?

The evidence that the courier, express, and parcel delivery market is thriving in the Philippines goes beyond the experience and the eye test. Numerically, its value is estimated to have hit $1.33 billion in 2025 and projected upwards to $1.85 billion in 2030 (Mordor Intelligence, n.d.). Moreover, according to the International Trade Administration (2024), there are at least 73 million active partakers in the country’s digital economy who will continue to support that market and rely on transport and delivery riders.

Despite the environmental impact, considering the dominance of fossil fuels in transport, I think market growth and environmental sustainability in the long term doesn’t necessarily have to be mutually exclusive.

While about 90% of energy demand from the transport sector today is still being met by oil products, scaling two-wheel electric vehicles (EVs) — particularly for last-mile delivery, or the short-distance logistics from the warehouse/sorting center/restaurant to the customer — is an opportunity that can support and help decarbonize e-commerce.

Electrification of transport does more than lower our personal carbon footprints and the emissions of fleets of vehicles. EVs also operate more quietly, improve urban air quality, and offer lower cost-per-kilometer than internal combustion engines.

It goes without saying that charging networks need to expand their reach. But given the relatively short distance and close proximity of last-mile deliveries, two-wheel EVs can already operate in key e-commerce areas even as the current limitation in charging infrastructure is still being addressed. Considering the sheer frequency and quantity of last-mile deliveries, scaling e-motorcycles can really make a significant difference.

Last year, we launched Voltai, a startup under Aboitiz Power Corporation’s 1882 Energy Ventures, to introduce the Philippines’ first large-scale electric two-wheel battery swap ecosystem.

Voltai offers more to the benefits of adopting EVs as its battery swapping would allow e-motorcycle riders to exchange a depleted battery with a fully charged one within seconds, thereby skipping over an hour of charging from a standard outlet and saving time off refueling. This gives the riders more time on the road to resume their taxi or delivery services.

Voltai also makes it easier for courier and fleet management companies to adopt, integrate, and/or scale two-wheel EVs to their fleets to match operational requirements. While many are discouraged to deal with the high capital intensity of adopting EVs, Voltai leases its e-motorcycles, batteries, and use of its swapping network for a fixed monthly fee, tailoring the package with the needs of the customer. This model hedges against the fluctuation in fuel pump prices, which also impacts the cost of delivery services, and makes EV adoption more practical for courier and fleet management companies.

Leasing (instead of outright owning) fleet commercial vehicles can contribute the most to smarter and cleaner mobility as a structured application for the second-life, third-life, etc. of EVs allows it to continuously stay in service and maximize its useful life even after the initial lease term expires. Voltai itself takes care of its growing battery swapping network and also offers warranty and insurance coverages, further helping courier and fleet management companies manage their costs, exposures, and risk. It can even help them with meeting the mandate of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) to achieve a 50% EV fleet by 2040.

It goes without saying that public-private collaboration ought to be improved. While the private sector continues to invest and innovate, the transition to cleaner mobility will also be spurred by government incentives, streamlined processes, and the harmonization of local and national requirements.

Embracing innovation and sustainability in transport is a very exciting space that can benefit, not just the bottomline and national government targets, but also rider gig workers, customers, and the cities they inhabit. By “making the swap”, we contribute to the energy transition and encourage others to push the boundaries of better mobility, especially electric mobility.