UPS, Hermes and GLS are expanding environmentally-friendly deliveries in Germany deploying electric cargo bikes and scooters on the last mile in urban areas.
UPS is continuing to expand its city logistics project for low-emission deliveries in Munich with a mini-hub and three additional Box Movr electric cargo bikes. Since the project started in July 2017, UPS has more than tripled the number of parcels delivered with low-emission vehicles in the city. By expanding its city logistics solution, UPS saves 14 diesel-powered delivery vehicles each day.
The mini-hub serves as a depot for nine bicycle boxes, which are first loaded at the branch, pre-sorted and then brought to the mini-hub. From there, the goods are delivered throughout Munich’s Maxvorstadt district by the Box Movr e-bikes. The removable box of the bikes enables delivery staff to load and unload them more quickly. Instead of reloading the parcels individually, the deliverers only have to replace the empty box in the mini-hub with a loaded one. This usually takes less than two minutes.
“UPS has supported the development of the Box Movr and contributed to the optimisation of the e-bike by collecting practical data and sharing experience," Rainer Kiehl, Project Manager City Logistics at UPS Germany, said. "With the mini-hub, we are now looking for new ways to refine our city logistics solutions. We now have more than 2,800 low-emission stops in the city every day – this is part of our transition to alternative fuels. This project in Munich has global significance, the feedback from our drivers and customers flows directly into further development of our 'rolling laboratories'".
In addition, UPS has started implementing its sustainable delivery concept in the centre of Karlsruhe, in south-west Germany, as one of over 30 cities worldwide where the company deploys electric cargo vehicles. As part of the concept, UPS employees deliver parcels from a micro-depot to the Südstadt district via electric cargo bikes. In narrow streets, the bikes prove to be particularly effective. This way, one diesel vehicle can be saved per day.
UPS Germany has been successfully deploying electric cargo bikes as part of sustainable deliveries since February 2012 when it introduced its first sustainable city delivery concept in Hamburg combining micro depots with deliveries by cargo bike and on foot.
Meanwhile, Hermes Germany is currently also testing an electric cargo bike in Rostock, northern Germany, as part of the nationwide project ‘I relieve cities’ by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) which is funded by the Federal Environment Ministry.
"We are pleased to be able to participate in the nationwide project ´I relieve cities´ and hope to gain even more insights into the use of cargo bikes in Rostock’s city traffic. The results so far are so promising that we will soon be putting a third cargo bike into operation in Rostock. I also think that a further expansion of the fleet is conceivable in the future, provided that we can ensure am economically viable operation," said Michael Peuker, New Mobility Manager at Hermes Germany.
With the new cargo bike, around 110 consignments can be delivered emission-free every day. In the medium term, Hermes wants to use cargo bikes in the city centre of Rostock as well. "For such an operation, however, we need a micro depot in the city where the cargo vehicles can be loaded and unloaded. In this respect, we depend on the help of the city of Rostock,” Tobias Gawor, Manager Last Mile at Hermes Germany in Rostock, said.
Overall, 400 companies and institutions are involved in the ‘I relieve cities’ project managed by the German Aerospace Center. As part of the research project, 12,000 cargo bike journeys have already been recorded and evaluated.
For its part, GLS Germany has opened a parcel shop in Herne, in North Rhine-Westphalia, which also functions as a city depot at the same time for environmentally friendly parcel deliveries in the city. At the “City Logistik Herne” parcel shop, private customers can drop off or pick up their shipments. It functions also as a service centre for shops and small businesses in the city centre.
At the parcel shop, GLS loads an e-scooter with parcels every morning for further distribution in the city centre of Herne. The emission-free vehicle is particularly suitable for small parcels. Another e-vehicle will be added in the future.
