Potential for upscaling the use of light electric freight vehicles in sustainable last mile deliveries - Conducted at VTI

Abstract

The last mile logistics is known to be the most costly and most polluting part of the supply chain. The last mile logistics contribute with high emissions, congestion and safety issues in urban areas. Recently, the number of deliveries in urban areas have increased and it is common for residents to order merchandise online. Hence, new innovations are being tested in different cities around the world such as Light Electric Freight Vehicles (LEFVs). This report tries to identify which type of goods is suitable for delivery using LEFVs and what the driving forces to upscale the use of the LEFVs are. Moreover, the report also addresses how LEFVs will impact the last mile logistics and the supply chain if the use of LEFVs would increase. In order to fulfil the purpose of this report interviews with different actors in the supply chain in relation to LEFVs were conducted. The results showed that LEFVs are suited to be used for a wide range of goods. Furthermore, the results also showed that the driving forces to upscale the use of LEFVs are based in minimizing the last mile logistics problem and meeting environmental requirements. The results also emphasised the importance of hubs and UCC in the city in order to facilitate the use of LEFVs. Lastly, the results showed that there is a need for extended collaboration among stakeholders within urban areas to make it possible to increase the use of environmental effective transport modes.