Estonian autonomous robot manufacturer Cleveron has teamed up with leading logistics firms DHL Express and DPD to trial its on-demand autonomous solution for last mile delivery operations on the streets of Tallinn, the country’s capital.
DHL Express will work with Cleveron Mobility to test a DHL-branded Clevon 1 next generation delivery platform for parcel delivery starting at the end of July this year. Meanwhile, last month, Cleveron Mobility claimed that, alongside DPD Eesti, it performed Europe’s first package delivery to a customer on public roads using a driverless autonomous vehicle.
The DPD Eesti parcel delivery was performed in Tallinn – the same location as the DHL Express trial. According to Cleveron Mobility, a larger-scale parcel delivery service based on robot couriers will also be launched in cooperation with DPD in Viljandi soon.
Kristina Laaneots, CEO of DHL Express Estonia, said: “During this pilot project, DHL Express will be able to test the electrification of last-mile delivery, which is one of the main pillars of DHL’s recently announced sustainability action plan.”
The Clevon 1
The Clevon 1 is a lightweight, electric and fully autonomous vehicle. It has a range of 100 km on a single charge and can charge wirelessly. According to Cleveron Mobility, one teleoperator can monitor a fleet of 10 vehicles simultaneously, helping to reduce delivery costs and “resolving the challenges of driver shortages.”
The vehicle has been designed as a multi-functional delivery platform, so that it can be adapted to meet different business needs. It can come as a flatbed for pallet transportation, for example, or with a cargo box for parcel or grocery delivery, or as a parcel locker. The vehicle manages weights of up to 150 kg (335 lbs) and has a top speed of 31 mph, although on public roads in Estonia this is limited to 15 mph to meet local regulations.
The Clevon 1 also features a camera and radar stack, which provides a clear 360º field of view of the vehicle’s surroundings and detects objects to predict and avoid collisions in traffic.
Cost reductions
According to the CEO of Cleveron Mobility, Arno Kütt, robotic couriers can transport goods to several destinations just like conventional vans but without the need for a driver. This creates more efficient ways of delivery and provides relief for the rapidly growing input costs in the parcel delivery sector.
“The e-commerce market is continuing to grow rapidly in the developed world. And it requires more and more transportation to meet the demand, but with the steady decline of drivers, we see that autonomous solutions are key in satisfying last-mile deliveries globally. Cleveron Mobility wants to be among the world leaders in this field and achieve the position of the market leader,” Kütt said.
For DPD Eesti, the introduction of autonomous robotic couriers in parcel delivery is a very important next step among environmentally friendly delivery methods. Remo Kirss, CEO of DPD Eesti, said: “We are extremely pleased to be the first parcel delivery company in Europe to launch a parcel delivery service with a driverless autonomous courier robot in a public urban space.
“This will allow us to continue to introduce innovative solutions through practice to the general public and to encourage residents and consumers to make environmentally conscious decisions when choosing services and products,” he added.
Kütt noted that negotiations for other similar projects are ongoing and hopes that soon he will be able to share more news in this area. Cleveron Mobility predicts that several international pilot projects will be launched by the end of 2022.
