LOcityGISTICS

StreetScooter, the Deutsche Post DHL Group subsidiary which makes electric delivery vehicles, has opened its second manufacturing facility. In a statement issued yesterday (30 May), DHL said: "With immediate effect, up to 10,000 electric vans per year will run off the production line at the automotive supplier's new 78,000 m 2 factory in Düren, corresponding to a daily production rate of 46 vehicles (in single shift operation). "Together with its main factory in Aachen, StreetScooter now has production capacities of up to 20,000 electric vehicles per year. In the Düren factory, the Pure (chassis only), Pickup (flatbed vehicle) and Box (box truck with 4 or 8 m 3 loading volume) variants of the StreetScooter WORK and WORK L models will be produced. The new site will employ some 250 people in the area." Jürgen Gerdes, Board Member for Corporate Incubations at Deutsche Post DHL Group and responsible StreetScooter, commented: "E-mobility is on the move. We...

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has developed what it describes as a " sectoral decarbonization tool for transportation ", which says will help "transport companies, companies with logistics emissions in their value chains and road vehicle manufacturers to set emissions targets in line with the reductions needed to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement". Fernando Rangel, Senior Technical Manager, and Paola Delgado, Research Manager at WWF’s Climate & Energy Practice, explained why the organization - which is generally better known for its efforts to save rhinos, pandas and the like - has taken this initiative: "Passenger and freight transportation is currently responsible for nearly one-quarter of all energy-related carbon emissions. And, while electric vehicles, transport demand management and other technological innovation offer great promise for decarbonizing the sector, it remains one of the fastest growing sources of carbon emissions. ...

Dutch postal operator PostNL has brought the first two electrically-driven Renault Master Z.E. vans in Europe into operation. In a statement posted on its website today (31 May), PostNL announced that Liesbeth Kaashoek, Director Parcels and Logistics at PostNL, received the vans from Jean-Paul Renaux, Managing Director Renault Benelux. PostNL will use the vans to make emission-free parcel deliveries in the city centres of Utrecht and Leeuwarden. The vans will also be used in Amsterdam. PostNL added that it will put a total of 17 Renault Master Z.E. models into use in 2018. Liesbeth Kaashoek, Director Parcels and Logistics at PostNL, said: "PostNL invests in sustainability. For example, we are building our new parcel sorting centres using the most sustainable materials and placing solar panels on the roofs. "We are also making our vehicle fleet greener with several types of electric cargo bikes, scooters, and cars. "This is why we are proud to be the f...

The Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI) launched the Global EV Pilot City Programme (PCP) on the side lines of the 9 th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) meeting in Copenhagen last week. A statement issued on the International Energy Agency's (IEA) website on 24 May noted: "The PCP aims to build a network of one hundred EV-friendly cities, recognizing the unique perspective of cities on the promotion of electric vehicles. Cities face some of the most negative impacts of transportation, including noise and air pollution, yet can also be platforms for the development of innovations. "Cities will play a key role in helping to achieve the goal of EVI’s EV30@30 Campaign. This campaign, launched at the 2017 CEM Ministerial, has a collective aspirational goal for all EVI members of reaching a 30% market share for electric vehicles in the total of all passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, buses and trucks by 2030. "The PCP will contribute to the achievement of thi...

The number of electric and plug-in hybrid cars on the world’s roads topped the three-million mark in 2017,  according to the latest edition of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Global Electric Vehicles Outlook. This was an impressive 54% increase compared with 2016 – although electric vehicles still represent a small proportion of the world’s total car numbers. In a statement issued today (30 May), the IEA said that China remained “by far the largest electric car market in the world”, accounting for half sold last year. Nearly 580,000 electric cars were sold in China in 2017, a 72% increase from the previous year. The United States had the second-highest, with about 280,000 cars sold in 2017, up from 160,000 in 2016. Nordic countries remain leaders in market share. Electric cars accounted for 39% of new car sales in Norway, making it the world leader in electric vehicle (EV) market share. In Iceland, new EV sales were 12% of the total while the share reached 6%...

Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) and Toyota Tsusho Canada Inc. (TTCI) have agreed to work together on a drone delivery logistics platform. In a statement issued on Monday (28 May), Tony Di Benedetto, CEO of Drone Delivery Canada, said: “This agreement with TTCI is expected to open international markets for us as a company. “Working alongside a global industrial leader such as Toyota Tsusho also provides us quick access to a very extensive international global network and a breadth of commercial skills.” Hidetoshi Tada, President of TTCI, added: “We are confident drone delivery services are the way of the future. This agreement with DDC will enable us to participate in this cutting edge technology.” As part of the agreement, TTCI will take part in DDC’s commercial pilot program in Canada. The two groups will work together to start flight testing and identify other international markets to deploy DDC’s proprietary drone delivery platform.

E.ON, H&M Group, Scania and Siemens have formed a coalition in order to “accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy transport”. In a statement issued last week, the coalition said: “Reaching the Paris climate target requires fully decarbonising heavy commercial transport. Getting there no later than 2050 is not only possible but also financially attractive from a societal perspective.” The companies said that the starting point for their coalition is The Pathways Study: Achieving fossil-free commercial transport by 2050 , which said that fossil-free commercial transport in the timeframe of the Paris agreement target, is definitely possible – but in order to get there industry and the political arena must come together, initiate immediate change and ensure action at an unprecedented rate. The companies said that they will aim to “identify high impact innovation and partnerships within their operations and respective ecosystems”. Henrik Henriksson, Scania’s President and CEO,...

International parcel delivery company DHL has launched two new transport innovations which it claims will help to “drive down carbon emissions, reduce the number of vehicles on roads and deliver cost savings for customers”. The Connected TMS (Transport Management System) is a digital network that connects DHL customers to the group’s whole transport capability, including sub-contracted partners – thereby allowing planners to create the most efficient networks possible from all the available options. According to DHL, TMS “optimises cost by maximising the use of existing space, reducing empty miles and carbon emissions”. The second innovation announced today (30 May) is called TRAiLAR. This involves fitting thin film solar mats to vehicle roofs and connecting them to the vehicle’s battery or additional on-board batteries. The solar energy generated is used to power different on-board activities such as tail lifts, reducing overall fuel consumption. TRAiLAR can be integrated int...

UK-based home delivery business Milk & More has placed an initial order for 200 electric vehicles from the Deutsche Post subsidiary StreetScooter. The Milk & More drivers make their rounds at night or in the wee small hours of the morning, so the StreetScooters’ quiet operation will be a boon. And, as Deutsche Post pointed out, the StreetScooter is also in keeping with the tradition of British milkmen, who have used electric vehicles for their deliveries since 1930. “We wanted to make this unique tradition relevant again to the requirements of today’s customers,” said Patrick Müller, Managing Director of Milk & More. “In order to do this, we need a local product portfolio, new IT systems as well as reliable, quiet and environmentally friendly vehicles. In the StreetScooter, we have found the ideal vehicle for our needs.” Milk & More has ordered the Work L Box model with a box-type van body that is similar to that used for postal deliveries in German...

The UK's Department for Transport announced last week that Birmingham will host the world’s first zero emission vehicles summit on 11 September, following a pledge from the Prime Minister Theresa May at the One Planet event in Paris. According to the DfT statement: "The summit will bring together policy makers, industry experts and opinion formers from around globe to tackle carbon emissions and to find ways to improve air quality." The Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "The government is committed to meeting our climate change targets and cleaning up our air and to help achieve that we are investing £1.5 billion in ultra-low emission vehicles by 2021. "This ground-breaking event shows Britain leading the way in developing the new technology that will create new jobs and help improve the air we breathe. "And with a proud history in pioneering vehicle manufacturing, Birmingham is exactly the right location to showcase the innovations of the futu...

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have presented a concept for what could be the ultimate in smart, eco-friendly futuristic logistics: autonomous, electric, 3D-printed boats that can even self-assemble into other floating structures. According to an article posted on the MIT news website on 23 May: “Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Senseable City Lab in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP), have taken a step toward that future by designing a fleet of autonomous boats that offer high maneuverability and precise control. The boats can also be rapidly 3-D printed using a low-cost printer, making mass manufacturing more feasible. “The boats could be used to taxi people around and to deliver goods, easing street traffic. In the future, the researchers also envision the driverless boats being adapted to perform city services overnight, instead of during busy daylight hours,...

LOcityGISTICS.com is the new online portal for news and views about low or zero emissions solutions for city logistics and infrastructure. There will be a strong focus on the growing use of electric or alternative fuel vehicles for transporting both people and cargo between cities for the "last mile" journeys within the city. If you are developing new solutions to meet the challenges of low-emission, energy-efficient city logistics, please get in touch with us!