Energy, Economy and Environmental Assessment of E‐Tricycle for Medium‐Size Cargo Deliveries: A Case of Dar es Salaam City

ABSTRACT As global cities become urbanised, cargo deliveries emerge to be crucial for last‐mile delivery of daily needs and economic vitality. In Sub‐Sahara Africa, especially Tanzania, there is a spike in the adoption of three‐wheelers, particularly electric ones, in last‐mile delivery. However, their sustainability concerns in cargo deliveries remain underexplored. This study aims to evaluate the performance of the e‐tricycle in terms of energy, economy, and environment when deployed for medium‐size cargo delivery in targeted routes of Dar es Salaam city, Tanzania. The performance of e‐tricycle was compared with those of traditional delivery modes such as petrol‐powered motorcycles, tuk‐tuk, and light‐duty car (LDC). The e‐tricycle was revealed to consume up to 0.54 kWh/one‐way trip and 1.07 kWh/km while the motorcycle, tuk‐tuk, and LDC consumed approximately 18.54, 35.60, and 44.50 kWh/km, depending on the route length. Economically, e‐tricycle, motorcycle, tuk‐tuk, and LDC cost around TZS 120, 220, 320, and 870 per km while the cost per trip reached TZS 2950, 5200, 3250, and 15,700. When restricting to the delivery weight of 250 kg, the cost per kg for the e‐tricycle, motorcycle, tuk‐tuk, and LDC could reach around TZS 50, 110, 150, and 380. Replacing the motorcycle, tuk‐tuk, and LDC with an e‐tricycle could reduce between 10.81 and 43.24 kgCO 2 per day, or between 2.70 and 10.81 kgCO 2 per trip. The insights from this study could be used to improve future city planning by integrating e‐tricycle delivery as a low‐cost and clean mode of transportation.