Easee develops and manufactures electric vehicle (EV) chargers for the home, commercial properties and apartment blocks. In the following interview Sunny Dhillon – UK Delivery Manager at Easee – discusses a vibrant EV market, how Diamond Logistics has helped the business grow and what retailers should think about when choosing a fulfilment partner.
What has influenced the demand for your product in the last couple of years?
Electric vehicle sales are growing exponentially, with recent monthly statistics for the UK showing that over 1 in 4 new vehicles sold are purely electric. Just a year ago this was only 1 in 15! This is due, in part, to the introduction of various government incentives. In 2021, the UK government brought forward the end of ICE vehicle sales from 2035 to 2030 while also introducing grants for businesses and apartment blocks to invest in charging infrastructure. They further announced regulations that stated that all new homes are legally required to have EV charge points as part of their building regulations.
At the same time, there’s been a positive social shift in the way that people think about their environmental footprint, with consumers increasingly considering ethical and sustainability factors when making a purchase. Naturally, this has contributed to the uptake in EV purchases.
How has Brexit and the pandemic changed how you operate? How has it impacted your logistics operation?
Adjustments are always required when things change, and both Brexit and the pandemic gave us the opportunity to re-evaluate how we operate. Brexit brought slight delays at first, but the strong country relations between the UK and Norway, who are also outside the EU, allowed us to retain our logistical efficiency.
The pandemic brought semiconductor shortages which affected a vast number of tech-related industries, including EV car and charger manufacturing. We have definitely felt the pressure of this, however with proactive procurement and a focus on securing contracts and back-up plans for our components, our factories in Norway have continued to operate. The risk has certainly been paying off as we’re able to meet market demand, while some of our competitors face delivery times of several weeks and months!
What were you looking for in a logistics partner?
Trust, openness and honesty are three of our core values at Easee, and ones that we also actively look for in anyone who that is becoming part of our value chain. So primarily, we were looking for someone with whom we could build a long-term partnership based on trust and transparency. In addition, we were looking for a logistics partner that is an expert in their field, who has a good handle on stock control and someone who has excellent relationships with couriers who can get the chargers to our consumers safely and efficiently.
How has your partner Diamond Logistics supported you to grow your business so far?
Diamond Logistics ticked the above and more. They were very approachable when we were looking for a new logistics partner and took good care of us when onboarding which made the transition from our old warehouse easier. Their flexibility has also been instrumental in supporting our growth. From having a warehouse network across the country, which has offered further storage facilities, to offering a range of established carriers at competitive prices, they’ve worked with us to ensure we achieve the best results.
How does Diamond’s Despatchlab technology improve your operation?
It’s like having a finger on the pulse. Having a full and comprehensive overview of every stage of the logistics process is crucial when having to communicate with our partners and their customers. This helps us to strengthen our relationships with our partners as we continue to scale the business.
What should retailers think about when choosing an ecommerce fulfilment partner?
It’s too simple to say competitive pricing. Everyone will always have that on their mind, so think further. Think about investing in relationships that can guarantee good service; everything from product inbound and outbound to taking care of you and your individual requirements. This will ripple out to the end customer and help to ensure repeat business. Having the right fulfilment partner who takes away the stress will also give you more time to reinvest in your internal resources in order to continue growing your business. This is what Diamond is allowing us to do.
What can we expect from Easee in the next five years?
Easee was founded on a powerful vision of shaping the future of electricity and business culture, and this is the vision we will be pursuing for years to come. It is an ambitious goal, however an important one as we seek to create a brighter future for our planet and children.
The growth will have multiple dimensions, such as introducing new products, increasing market share in current territories and expanding geographically. Our goal is to become one of the largest companies in green technology in Europe within 3-5 years, and one of the largest in the world within 7-10 years.
This means focusing both on developing scalable and future-orientated technology, while also setting the example for what a sustainable organisation and people focused business culture can be. One where values and employees come first. Always.
To find out more about eCommerce Fulfilment visit Diamond Logistics or call 0333 567 5888.To find out more about Easee visit www.easee.com/UK
