EVs in a city logistic concept - Integration of urban freight and city logistics in the e-mobility

Abstract

18. abstract Increasing urbanisation and e-commerce are two factors contributing to constantly growing numbers of shipments handled by courier, express, and parcel (CEP) services in urban areas in Germany. Freight vehicles account for an over-proportionate share of the emissions of CO2 and pollutants. To tackle climate change and worsening quality of living in urban areas, the EU and several local authorities in Germany aim to make the transport sector more sustainable and promoting electric vehicles for (city) logistics. In 2017, only 3% of CEP service vehicles were powered by battery electric. This is mainly because such vehicles are not competitive in terms of the total cost of ownership (TCO), which is the major purchase criterion, compared to diesel-powered freight vehicles. As urban consolidation centres (UCCs) have been identified as a measure to boost last mile logistics efficiency and environment-friendliness, this project aimed to investigate whether such logistic centres can help make the TCO of electric freight vehicles (EFV) competitive. To do this, a use case was created based on representative tour data of a CEP service operating in Berlin (Germany), which were collected through data logging. Currently available electric freight vehicles were assessed based on their last mile logistics operability. Furthermore, a meta-analysis was conducted to categorize UCCs and determine the impact they have on tour profiles. Five use cases with different fleet constellations of conventionally powered and battery-electric freight vehicles with and without an urban consolidation centre were simulated. For each use case different vehicles were selected based on their operability which was identified through market analysis and technical assessment conducted beforehand. The analyses show that costs and emissions in various use-cases can be reduced. From an economic and ecological perspective, the use-case of an electric urban fleet operated in a consolidation centre showed a suitable solution for sustainable urban logistics. Both, the electrification of the urban fleet and the operation of a UCC, have to be implemented as an overall concept. To support the market diffusion of electric freight vehicles, existing fiscal incentives should be prolonged and enhanced, and a CO2 Emission based tax should be introduced on the part of authorities and policy makers.