DPD Germany will soon use nine completely electrically-powered VW e-Crafters for parcel deliveries in Hamburg city centre in order to operate entirely emission-free.
Since the beginning of 2018 DPD has been testing two pre-series models of the eCrafter in daily operation in Hamburg. Now, the nine vans form the backbone of a fully electrically operated parcel delivery system in the inner city.
By the summer DPD intends to deliver and collect every single parcel in downtown Hamburg completely emission-free. Areas involved include the districts of Altstadt, Neustadt, Hafencity, St. Georg and Hammerbrook. The ZUKUNFT.DE promotional project supports the purchase of VW e-Crafters.
Gerd Seber, Group Manager City Logistics and Sustainability at DPD Germany, commented: “After numerous tests we are switching over to fully electric vehicles in Hamburg’s city centre on a larger scale than ever before.
“With the acquisition of nine VW e-Crafters we are already coming very close to achieving this goal: we are very pleased that we will soon be able to supply large parts of Hamburg’s inner city with parcels that are locally emission-free.”
The VW e-Crafters park and begin their daily delivery at the DPD parcel center in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg. Thanks to a six-digit investment the site will be equipped with a powerful charging infrastructure. Electrically assisted cargo bikes and e-scooters of the TRIPL make will supplement the e-Crafter delivery.
The VW e-Crafter have a maximum range of up to 160 km and are thus especially suitable for short delivery rounds with a large number of stops. Fully integrated into the chassis, the lithium-ion battery does not limit the van’s capacity of 10.7 cubic meters. With the maximum payload being one ton, the vehicle is expected to fulfill all the requirements to operate with the same productivity as conventional vehicles.
Therefore delivery rounds with a particularly high proportion of private recipients can be converted completely from conventional vehicles to the VW e-Crafter. If the proportion of parcels for commercial recipients is larger, additional delivery rounds are necessary. The e-Crafter’s batteries are charged at 7.2 kW AC wall charging units installed directly in the DPD depot in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg. It is not necessary to recharge the batteries during delivery on the selected rounds.
Additionally, small, agile electric vehicles complement the parcel delivery in Hamburg. They normally receive 1-2 smaller parcels per stop and are thus primarily used for deliveries to private consignees. DPD said it had made good experiences with electrically powered cargo bikes, especially in congested metropolitan areas. Under favorable conditions the cargo bicycle can deliver parcels as efficiently as a conventional van and can therefore provide effective support to the company's larger vehicles.
Three cargo bikes from the manufacturer Radkutsche are already in use in Hamburg. Two electronic scooters from the Danish manufacturer EWII, called TRIPL, also operate in Hamburg. Faster than the cargo bike, the TRIPL additionally has a wider range. Just like the cargo bike, the TRIPL can also be driven right to the recipient’s front door. This saves time and distance, while also relieving traffic in the city center.
Lastly, the ZUKUNFT.DE project mentioned above promotes the electrification of parcel delivery on the last mile. Given the large growth rates of inner-city parcel deliveries, new concepts regarding zero emissions need to be developed. As part of the project, the emission-free electric vehicles of the 2.8t (eVito) and the 3.5t class (e.g. eSprinter and e-Crafter) have been introduced to major German cities by delivery companies such as DPD, GLS, Hermes, UPS.
