City logistics: what will solve the problem?

‘When it comes to electric trucks, many logistics experts first think of Tesla and technologies such as fuel cells and range extenders,’ says Josha Kneiber from the electric mobility team at BPW Bergische Achsen, describing the current situation. For the 28-year-old economist, the event was therefore a good opportunity to provide more clarity on this point. After all, with the eTransport electric axle, BPW has the technology in its series to provide propulsion in electrified versions of the MB Vario. However, Josha Kneiber went one step further in the discussion. He asked what a truck suitable for city logistics will look like in future? And he even gave an exciting answer himself: the goal must be the development of a vehicle that focuses on the logistical processes of city centre delivery. An axle-integrated drive offers good opportunities for this. Since this technology requires little space in the vehicle, it can be used to develop a vehicle architecture that focuses on the ergonomics for the driver and the safety of cyclists and other road users. For example, a low-floor concept or a truck with internal elevators replacing the need for a tail lift could offer alternative solutions. For those who love the classic truck shape, this may sound a bit strange. On the other hand, nowhere is it written that a truck for city logistics must look exactly like a conventional truck.

An electric vehicle also plays a key role in the logistics approach of Bremer Rytle GmbH, a joint venture between the consulting firm Orbitak and the trailer and body manufacturer Krone. The concept combines a cargo bike with a micro-depot and specially designed transport boxes. As Rytle’s co-partner, Gero Schulze Isfort essentially presents city logistics reinvented: a lightweight container with a hydraulic lifting device and a roller shutter functions as a depot. It provides space for nine boxes, each with a loading volume of just under two cubic metres, which the respective logistics service provider fills with its parcels and packages. When it comes to delivery, the courier places a box in a retaining device at the rear of their cargo bike, which Rytle calls ‘MovR’. Thanks to its ample electrical support, the bike is easy to ride on the road, but can also be ridden on cycle paths. Since it is licensed as a Pedelec 25, the driver does not need a driver’s licence.

Not only do cities need to be on board, but end customers, too. ‘However, customers are very unaware of logistics providers. As a result, customers who don’t even know us rate our services,’ regrets Gerd Seber, group manager of City Logistics and Sustainability at DPD Germany. And then, those receiving the packages also want a flexible and individual service. ‘Business with private customers will increase significantly in the future. Innovative logistics approaches must therefore focus on the relationship between service providers and end customers,’ says Seber. Driverless delivery by mobile parcel stations could play a key role in future. The vehicle would automatically drive to the delivery location, while the recipient would receive information about the parcel station’s arrival via the DPD app. Once authorised, the customer would remove the package from the outlet hatch on site. It would also be possible to return parcels in this way.

Christian Kühnhold, managing director of Smart City Loop GmbH, is also dependent on gaining cities’ support. If his concept becomes a reality, logisticians could be looking at pipes in a completely new way. The Smart City Loop is a transport system for the penultimate mile that is intended to offer an alternative to freight transport relying on heavy trucks in urban areas. Instead, trucks will deliver their cargo to a goods distribution centre on the outskirts of a city. There, the goods will be transported fully automatically in underground pipes on pallets or in transport containers to a city hub in the city centre. Having reached their destination, electric vehicles then transport the loads the final mile.

But setting up infrastructure can be an enormously expensive undertaking. And, according to Adam Riese, going underground would see costs virtually explode. Perhaps underground railway tunnels could be used intelligently for city logistics? How will you find the necessary space for a city hub in those cities that so desperately need one? And what costs would users of the Smart City Loop bear? The questions posed by event participants to Christian Kühnhold reflected their reservations. ‘The costs given are only a fraction of the sums required for tunnel construction,’ explained the industrial engineer. The uncomplicated approval procedure is one clear advantage. In addition, only established processes and conveyor technologies would be used throughout the model.

By the end of the event, Smart City Loop had delivered one key message: an idea should not fall off the grid simply because its implementation involves effort and money. And when it comes to city logistics, you have to think big to solve the big problems.