LOcityGISTICS

BP has entered into an agreement to buy the UK-based electric vehicle (EV) charging company, Chargemaster. Chargemaster operates the UK’s largest public network of EV charging points, with over 6,500 across the country. It also designs, builds, sells and maintains EV charging units for a wide range of locations, including for home charging. In a statement issued today (28 June), Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive, BP Downstream, said: “Bringing together the UK’s leading fuel retailer and its largest charging company, BP Chargemaster will deliver a truly differentiated offer for the country’s growing number of electric vehicle owners. “At BP we believe that fast and convenient charging is critical to support the successful adoption of electric vehicles. Combining BP’s and Chargemaster’s complementary expertise, experience and assets is an important step towards offering fast and ultra-fast charging at BP sites across the UK and to BP becoming the leading provider of energy ...

ABB and Ballard Power Systems will be working together to develop zero-emission fuel cell power systems for the maritime shipping industry. In a statement issued yesterday (27 June), the company said that they will build on existing kilowatt-to "create a pioneering megawatt-scale solution suitable for powering larger ships". "With an electrical generating capacity of 3MW (4000 HP)," they added, "the new system will fit within a single module no bigger in size than a traditional marine engine running on fossil fuels." Fuel cell systems can have various applications for vessels, such as providing power for a ship’s hotel operations during the time of docking, or for powering the propulsion when ships are at sea. During the initial phase, the collaboration will focus on the development of fuel cell power systems for passenger vessels. Granted this development won't be directly relevant to inner city logistics (our primary newsbeat at LOcityGIS...

FedEx and Volvo Trucks have announced a successful demonstration of truck platooning technology on North Carolina's N.C. 540 highway (the Triangle Expressway). In a statement issued yesterday (27 June), FedEx said that this was the first public on-highway showcase of platooning technology between a major truck manufacturer and a transportation company in the US. “Volvo Trucks has long supported platooning because it benefits freight companies and professional drivers alike through safer, more fuel-efficient operations,” said Per Carlsson, Acting President of Volvo Trucks North America. “We continue preparing for deployment of trucks with greater vehicle-to-vehicle communication capabilities that support higher levels of ADAS. We know these technologies will be part of our future, but exact timing depends on many things, namely regulations, infrastructure, safety standards, and market demand.” The platoon” consisted of three Volvo VNL tractors, each pulling dou...

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Transport have now released the supplement to the UK plan for tackling roadside NOx consultation, adding a further 33 local authorities to the 27 already tasked to clean up their air. This now makes a total of 60 towns and cities that have to take some action to tackle the air quality in their areas, including London. In a statement issued yesterday (26 June), the Road Haulage Association (RHA) chief executive, Richard Burnett said: "In recent weeks four local authorities – and London – have made announcements about their clean air strategies. It’s inevitable that each authority will place its own restrictions, timelines and of course cost. "There must balance in terms of phasing in these schemes. Hauliers simply can't afford extra costs and manufacturers, retailers and ultimately the consumer will inevitably end up footing the bill. "If the UK is to see tangible benef...

Renault Trucks has unveiled its "second generation" of all-electric vehicles: the Renault Master Z.E., Renault Trucks D Z.E. and Renault Trucks D Wide Z.E., which it describes as "a complete range from 3.5 to 26 tonnes ideally suited for use in the city". The Renault Trucks D and Renault Trucks D Wide Z.E. will be manufactured in the Renault Trucks plant at Blainville-sur-Orne and will arrive on the market in 2019. The Renault Master Z.E. will be available in 2018. In a statement issued yesterday (26 June), Renault Trucks said it has been "preparing for the shift to electric vehicles for the past ten years", adding that "electromobility was the obvious response to urban air quality and noise issues from the outset, as well as cut overall CO2 emissions". The company said that it has been field testing electric trucks with its customer-partners over the past decade in order to "garner crucial information about usage, battery behavio...

Leading retailers are "stepping up" on supply chain sustainability, according to the latest figures from the environmental lobbying and research group CDP. In a statement issued today (26 June), CDP said: "The world’s largest retailer, Walmart, has just been joined by three more of the top 20 retail companies – CVS Health, Target Corporation and Tesco – in collecting data from suppliers to reduce environmental risk and cut carbon emissions in the supply chain. "The leadership shown by the retail sector is part of a wider surge of action from private and public-sector organizations, harnessing their purchasing power to tackle climate change, deforestation and water security." CDP said that, ten years since it first started collecting supply chain data on behalf of the world’s largest purchasing organizations, "115 organizations – representing a combined annual spend of more than US$3.3 trillion – are now requesting data from over 11,500 suppliers...

Innovate UK has announced that loans are being made available to 13 businesses working on the challenges of "population growth, accelerating urbanisation and climate change". In a statement issued yesterday (25 June), Innovate UK said that the loans added up to £8m. The companies applied into a competition which looked for innovative businesses who could use the loan to scale up and commercialise new technologies. This is part of Innovate UK’s 2-year pilot loans programme, through which a total of £50 million is available. The first successful companies include: CitiLogik : analysing how people move to identify and analyse demand activity G-Volution : dual-fuel engines that are cheaper, cleaner and greener Alert Technology : the world’s first portable asbestos detectors Alcove : assistive Internet of Things-based technology for older adults Catagen : catalyst emissions testing and simulation Utonomy : pressure management to reduce gas leakage by up to 25% 3-...

Edinburgh City Council has announced its ambition to hold more "open street" events and have more vehicle-free days in the city centre. Edinburgh's Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Macinnes, announced the plans at the Edinburgh Summer Summit on sustainable transport which took place on Clean Air Day last Thursday (21 June). In her speech at the Summit, Councillor Macinnes said: “The aim of today's summit is to demonstrate that Edinburgh can be a city that puts people and public spaces first and does not need to be dominated by vehicles. As we have seen in other European capitals such as Oslo, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, active travel and car-free city centre streets improve the quality of the air that we breath, the safety of the streets, and encourage people to use and enjoy the public realm more freely. “Our ambition is to work toward implementing regular vehicle-free occasions in Edinburgh’s centre which reflect this aspiration. We will...

A second G-Active workshop on "Novel approaches to energy management and eco-driving" will take place on 14 November in Southampton. According to a notice posted on the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) website today (22 June), the event aims to "bring together those interested in novel, multidisciplinary approaches to fuel saving and emissions reduction of future connected vehicles". The workshop will include presentations by current project members as well as external speakers from academia and industry. Find out more and register here .

Councils, businesses and fleets around the UK are being invited to experience the environmental benefits, convenience and cost saving opportunity of running their vehicles on autogas LPG as part of Clean Air Day. The invitation has been issued by Autogas Limited, an automotive LPG supplier that has a fleet of vehicles which can be used for evaluation purposes including taxis and vans. According to Autogas: "While many authorities are looking towards electric vehicles as part of a long-term solution, autogas LPG offers an immediate answer to the air quality problem. Indeed, vehicles running on autogas LPG produce 99 percent fewer particulates than diesel or petrol models, 80 percent less NOx than diesels and 7 percent less CO2 than petrol vehicles. What’s more, users of LPG vehicles do not have the range of anxiety problems associated with electric vehicles and even when they do need refuelling, there is an established network of more than 1,300 refuelling stations...

At a special event in Falkirk, Scotland's Minister for Transport Humza Yousaf has launched the Electric A9 project and announced the range of new funding streams on offer. According to a notice posted by Transport Scotland today (20 June), the measures will support the Scottish government's "ambitious commitment to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032" The Transport Scotland statement noted: "The overall budget for the popular Low Carbon Transport Loan, has increased from £8m to £20m for 2018/19, allowing more businesses and consumers to make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) than ever before. "To further accelerate the transition of EVs into public sector fleets, the Switched on Fleets budget has been quadrupled from £1.2 million to £4.8 million in 2018/19. Additionally, a new funding stream, the ‘Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund’ has been announced. Through intensive action, it is designed...

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced the creation of the largest double-decker electric bus fleet in Europe, as he brought together city leaders from across England and Wales for a national air quality summit. The capital’s zero-emission public transport network is to get even larger as the Mayor declared that 68 new electric double-deckers will join the bus fleet in London. In a statement issued today (20 June), Khan said that the number of electric double-deck buses in London will increase more than tenfold, and that two routes run by Metroline from Barnet to central London will be exclusively operated by electric double-decker buses. Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that the 68 new buses will be added to London’s growing green bus fleet next summer. The announcement was made as cross-party leaders, representing around 20m people from towns and cities in England and Wales, join together at a historic summit in London to urge the government to tackle the ...

The UK city of Birmingham has announced that it is pressing ahead with its Clean Air Zone plans. As previously reported by LOcityGISTICS, Leeds announced earlier this week that it is soon about to open the final consultation on its proposed Clean Air Zone plans. In a statement issued yesterday (19 June), Birmingham City Council announced that a report due to go before its Cabinet on Tuesday next week (26 June) will asks it to approve preferred measures for a Birmingham Clean Air Zone, which will then be subject to a full public consultation. The Birmingham City Council said that in order to meet Government requirements it will need to introduce a Clean Air Zone by 2020. It is proposed that the Clean Air Zone should cover all roads within the A4540 Middleway ring road. The Council added: "Under the proposals for the preferred Class D option, charges would apply to the most polluting vehicles which enter the Clean Air Zone, including buses, coaches, lorries, taxis and p...

On the same day that it has revealed it is "exploring" a potential strategic alliance with Volkswagen, US auto maker Ford has announced plans to build a new hub in Detroit's Michigan Central Station where it will work with  "thinkers, engineers, and problem-solvers" to develop autonomous and electric vehicles and "shape the future of mobility and transportation". In a statement issued yesterday (19 June), Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman, said: “Michigan Central Station is a place that in many ways tells the story of Detroit over the past century. “We at Ford want to help write the next chapter, working together in Corktown with the best startups, the smartest talent, and the thinkers, engineers, and problem-solvers who see things differently – all to shape the future of mobility and transportation.” The statement added: "The future of transportation requires more than new vehicles – or even self-driving vehicles. It requires ...

Parcel delivery giant UPS has announced plans to build an additional five compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations in the US and add more than 700 new CNG vehicles including 400 semi-tractors and 330 terminal trucks. In a statement published today (19 June), UPS said: "This $130m dollar investment in CNG capacity for 2018 builds on previous UPS investments of $100m dollars in 2016 and $90m dollars in 2017. UPS will have invested more than $1bn in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations from 2008 through 2018." The five new CNG stations will be in Goodyear, Arizona; Plainfield, Indiana; Edgerton, Kansas; Fort Worth, Texas; and Arlington, Texas. Four hundred semi-tractors will be supplied by Freightliner and Kenworth and 330 terminal trucks by TICO . UPS will deploy the new CNG vehicles on routes to utilize the new CNG stations as well as adding to existing natural gas fleets in other UPS locations including Atlanta, Georgia; and S...

Leeds City Council has announced that the statutory consultation on the city's proposed clean air charging will launch later this month. In a statement issued yesterday (18 June), the council said that it has been directed by the UK government to provide a "full business case" by 15 September which "addresses the city’s proposals to ensure it becomes compliant with air quality standards in the shortest possible time". At a meeting on Wednesday (27 June), the Leeds City Council’s executive board will be asked to approve entering into a period of statutory public consultation on both the clean air charging zone, the enforcement of anti-idling, the citywide clean air strategy and proposed changes to licensing conditions for taxis and private hire vehicles. The City Council said that it received almost 9,000 responses in the first-phase consultation and it amended its plans on a number of points. These included: a new, smaller boundary for the chargin...

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) has signed an agreement with Ukraine's  Infrastructure Ministry to work on a commercial Hyperloop system. In a statement issued on Thursday (14 June), HyperloopTT said it will work with Ukraine's Ministry of Transportation to begin planning the construction of the system, which will be built out in phases. The first phase will consist of a 10 km track that will be used to create the required legal framework to certify the system before being extended out into a broader Hyperloop network. The project is planned to be financed as a public private partnership after the completion of the initial study. "We have set a course to bring Ukraine's infrastructure into the 21st century," said Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Volodymyr Omelyan. "Hyperloop is a key component to our goals of creating a smart, and sustainable transportation infrastructure. We warmly welcome HyperloopTT to join us in this end...

EarthSense has reported that its air quality monitoring technology has provided real time data for trials into the use of low emission vehicles to improve air quality in polluted city centres. The data, collected by both mobile and static EarthSense Zephyr air quality monitoring sensors, was used to automatically activate zero-emission running of hybrid vehicles as they passed through some of the most heavily polluted city streets. As part of Project ACCRA (Autonomous and Connected vehicles for CleanerR Air), the data was presented at the Clean Smart City Conference; Improving Air Quality Through Vehicle Technology Innovation, held in Leeds on the 14th June 2018. ACCRA was a twelve month project, led by Cenex, the UKs first Centre of Excellence for low carbon technology, in partnership with Leeds City Council and Transport Systems Catapult. Using parts of Leeds Clean Air Zone, ACCRA used real time air pollution measurements, captured by EarthSense, to trigger zero-emission ...

On Clean Air Day (this Thursday, 21 June), the Cambridge-based cargo bike company Outspoken Delivery will officially re-launch as Zedify and announce its intention to be "the UK’s first national zero-emissions delivery service". Zedify (née Outspoken) said that the new name "stands for zero-emissions delivery". Outspoken Delivery started up in Cambridge 12 years ago. Now, as Zedify, they’ve joined forces with Recharge Cargo from Brighton, as well as technology firm Skotkonung to form what they describe as a "growing network of zero emissions delivery hubs". Zedify currently serves six locations across the UK Cambridge, central London, Waltham Forest, Brighton, Glasgow, and Norwich. The company said that it "aims to be able to offer a zero emission service in all urban areas in the near future starting with Edinburgh next month". Goods at Zedify’s city centre depots are sorted into local, digitally-tracked delivery rounds and sent to the...

The Dutch postal company PostNL will be making all its deliveries in the city centre of Leeuwarden, the provincial capital of Friesland, using by "emission free" means. In a statement posted on its website today (18 June), PostNL said that it is replacing all its vehicles operating in the centre of Leeuwarden this year with electric delivery vans and small electric vehicles (which it calls "Stints"). PostNL added: "Parcels are delivered by electric vehicles from a central transfer point in the city. Letters are already delivered by emission-free means in Leeuwarden, either by bike or on foot. Sustainable delivery also fits in with the city of Leeuwarden's ambition for a clean, exhaust fume-free centre." The company plans extend its green logistics with "the ambition to make its deliveries completely emission-free in 25 town centres by 2025".

The Mayors of London, the West Midlands, Manchester, and Liverpool are among a group of politicians and civic leaders calling on the UK government to ban the sale of new pure diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2030. Effectively, they want to see the government bring forward its existing phase-out plans from 2040 to 2030. The call for action will be discussed on Wednesday at a national air quality summit organised by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan; the "UK100" network of UK civic leaders;  and the think tank, IPPR. In a statement issued by his press office this morning (18 June), Khan said: "Banning the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, providing support to deliver Clean Air Zones in cities and introducing a national vehicle renewal scheme will dramatically improve our air quality and our health. Michael Gove has made a good start as Environment Secretary but we need the government to match our ambition and help us urgently drive forward these i...

DHL Freight has purchased four Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered Stralis trucks from IVECO in Belgium. The heavy-duty, long-haul trucks have a driving range of up to 1,500 kilometres and enable a total weight of tractor and trailer of up to 40 tons. In a statement published on its corporate website today (18 June), DHL Freight said that the trucks will "create a sustainable transport solution for one of the world’s largest developers and sellers of athletic footwear and sportswear". Uwe Brinks, CEO DHL Freight, commented: “As an excellent long-haul alternative to diesel, natural gas provides a great opportunity for DHL Freight to become front runner in sustainable road freight shipping. “It offers the chance to reduce greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions, in addition to benefits such as noise reduction and cost savings. With IVECO’s natural gas powered trucks, we can now provide customers with additional options for environmentally friendly long-dis...

Consultancy firm Sweco has released a new report which looks at how e-commerce is not only changing our shopping habits, but also reshaping logistics, city planning and properties. In a statement issued yesterday (14 June), Sweco said: "With e-commerce turnover increasing by 10-15% per y, there is an ongoing structural shift in retail supply chains. From being a relatively predictable behaviour in respect to place and time, shopping has become far more complex and offers new challenges to urban planners, retailers and logistics companies. Challenges include supplying individual customers rather than replenishing stocks in stores, managing returns, and offering a selection of delivery options." Sweco added: "The total effect of increased e-commerce remains unclear, but inefficiencies in applied solutions will lead to unnecessary increase in traffic load and pollution. Retail space will probably be reinvented and traditional shops might be replaced by showrooms. T...

Vijay Shinde, Grid Services Lead at engineering, environment and design consultancy Sweco UK, has been appointed the Chair of the Renewable Energy Association’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Sector Group. Based in the company’s Newcastle office, Shinde is a grid connection and high voltage design specialist, and works with investors and developers on energy storage, grid and electric vehicle charging infrastructure schemes. Prior to his time at Sweco, Shinde worked for EDF Energy as a high voltage design engineer before joining Senergy Econnect, where he delivered electrical design and due diligence for pan European energy projects. The REA’s EV Sector Group has over 50 members, ranging from financers to project developers and equipment manufacturers. Group member companies include ABB, Alfen, Black & Veatch Ltd, Centrica, Flexisolar, Solisco, and the Greater London Authority. Commenting on the appointment, Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy...

Swiss energy company EBL has announced it is planning to create a "Swiss E-Mobility Hub", which it says will be an innovation centre for e-mobility and the largest electric charging station in Europe, with 280 charging points. The hub will be located on the A2 motorway in Salina Raurica/Pratteln, and is being developed in partnership with the Canton of Basel-Landschaft and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. The hub is scheduled to become operational in 2023.

The UK-based online grocery delivery company Farmdrop has raised £10m in a new funding round. The new round takes the total amount raised by the online grocer to over £20m. Founding in 2014, Farmdrop is effectively an online farmers’ market, sourcing and delivering food from local farmers and producers. In a statement issued today (14 June), Farmdrop said that 80% of Farmdrop’s fresh produce is sourced directly from 208 sustainable farmers and independent food makers. The company started up with a click-and-collect service, delivering to collection points. Now, Farmdrop delivers direct to homes and offices in most areas of London, Bristol and Bath. With the new investment, Farmdrop intends to double the total number of households it can deliver to over the next six months. The initial expansion will be in the South East of England but the company plans to have a northern hub in Manchester by end of 2019. Farmdrop said: “The rising popularity of online grocery...

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has reacted with "dismay" to the planned expansion of the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), saying that it will "put small businesses at risk". On Friday (8 June), the London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed that the ULEZ will be expanded to cover the whole of Greater London for lorries in 2020, and inner London for vans (as well as cars) in 2021. In a statement  posted on the FTA  website Friday evening, the FTA’s Head of UK Policy Christopher Snelling commented: “While some large logistics operators will have mostly compliant fleets, the real losers here will be small companies reliant on their lorries or vans. Small firms tend to buy second- hand so will have older vehicles that do not reach the latest emissions standards and will really struggle to raise the loans they will need to buy compliant vehicles a few years early then they would have.” FTA said that its calculations showed that, for a typical sm...

Venson Automotive Solutions has urged businesses to back ‘Clean Air Day’ to help tackle air pollution. The number of cars eligible for the ‘Plug-In’ car grant increased by over 51% year-on-year in May and new car registrations of hybrids and plug-ins is up more than a third to take a record 5.8% share of the market.   Although the UK has some way to go to achieve its EV aspirations, Venson said that it believes a continued focus on clean air initiatives for UK cities by businesses and local government has played a key role in boosting take up.  As the countdown to Clean Air Day 2018 begins in earnest, Venson is urging businesses to get behind this year’s campaign by asking employees to pledge to walk, cycle or car-share to work on June 21st.   Transport minister Jesse Norman joined Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, along with other key motor industry experts, at this year’s Hay Festival held in May in Wales, to discuss the future of electric ve...

Aachen is set to become the second German city to impose a ban on higher-polluting diesel vehicles operating in inner-city areas. The regional court in Aachen has today (9 June) ruled that the authorities must put a diesel ban in place by January 2019.  The ruling follows on from legal action by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and environmental lawyers ClientEarth. Last month the city of Hamburg prohibited diesel vehicles that do not meet Euro-VI emissions standards from using certain inner city streets. In a statement issued today, ClientEarth said: "Today’s hearing in Aachen was Germany’s first clean air hearing since the landmark Leipzig decision, which clarified that diesel bans can be implemented by regional authorities where air pollution exceeds legal limits. Environmental lawyers say it has set the direction for all German clean air cases still waiting to be heard – and the deadline may be a blueprint for other courts." ClientEarth CEO James T...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed that the UK capital city's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be expanded up to the North and South Circular boundary in 2021. In a statement issued today (8 June), the Mayor's Office said: "The new ULEZ will cover an area 18 times larger than the Central London Ultra Low Emission Zone and will affect large numbers of polluting vehicles that don’t comply with strict emission standards. It is estimated that 100,000 cars, 35,000 vans and 3,000 lorries might be affected by the expanded zone and tighter standards every day." The statement added: "The expanded zone will be managed in the same way as the central London ULEZ, which is being delivered in April 2019, 17 months earlier than planned and will operate on top of the congestion charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. "Drivers within the expanded zone using non-compliant vehicles will pay a daily ULEZ charge of £12.50, 24 hours a day, 36...

Seven-Eleven Japan and Toyota have this week announced details about a joint project to reduce reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The retailer and car marker entered into a basic agreement to work on initiatives to cut (CO2) store distribution and operation last year. The companies have announced that they have been installing stationary fuel cell generators and rechargeable batteries at Seven-Eleven stores. On December 7, 2017, Seven-Eleven opened the environmentally, user friendly Seven-Eleven Chiyoda Nibancho Store as a flagship of these initiatives. The second such store, the Seven-Eleven Sagamihara Hashimotodai Itchome Store, opened on May 22, 2018, with renewable energy accounting for 46 percent of the store's electric power usage. The companies will also be introducing a newly developed small fuel cell truck to Seven-Eleven's distribution system. Two small fuel cell trucks will be introduced in the Tokyo metropolitan region in spri...

UK-based startup Urban Electric Networks Ltd has announced its UEone pop-up charge point for electric vehicles. In a statement issued last month (May), the company said that the UEone was "developed specifically to solve the problem of charging for the 43% of UK households who have to park their car on-street in residential parking zones". The app-operated UEone charges at up to 5.8kW and retracts underground when not in use, minimising the impact on the urban environment. Standard height when raised, yet requiring an installation depth of just 405mm, the UEone is suitable for more than 90% of residential streets. According to the company, the UEone's unobtrusive design and grid demand management capability means that whole streets can be electrified at a time without the unsightly street clutter usually associated with traditional charging posts, or for expensive grid reinforcement, or the need for EV Only bays. The UEone uses the same SmartCable ...