Design and Operation of an Urban Electric Courier Cargo Bike System

Abstract

In recent years, the number of packages sent by Courier, Express and Parcel (CEP) services has increased significantly. Many people order products online expecting fast delivery and, additionally, more than every tenth product is sent back to the merchant. Delivery tours, which are mainly conducted by diesel trucks, account for increased traffic congestion and air pollution, especially in cities. Therefore, CEPs are required to create innovative solutions. In this paper, we present a project in Munich, Germany, where the last mile package delivery is carried out by a CEP company by cargo bikes and eBikes. To this end, two containers and one truck-trailer are placed in the city center which function as depot stations for the parcels to be delivered nearby. We analyze the delivery data, present an optimization scheme for finding suitable container locations, and simulate the routes conducted by cargo bikes for an average day. It can be concluded that the presented approach is a feasible solution for the package delivery in densely populated cities. The vehicle mileage covered by diesel trucks per day is significantly reduced from 180 km to 45 km, approximately.