Electric mobility in last mile logisticsThe Coordinator of the International Master's Degree in Business Administration and Management and the Official University Master's Degree in Integrated Logistics and International Trade , Lorena Quidiello, talks to us in this post about electric vehicles in urban freight distribution.
Urban distribution of goods , also known as last mile logistics , represents the last link in the supply chain and is essential to maintain the economic activity of cities.
The forecast for the coming years is that there will be a continued increase in the number of people moving to cities. It is expected that by 2030, approximately more than 60% of the world's population will be concentrated in cities .
This will directly lead to a need for more movement of people bc data and goods, which will increase traffic congestion, and with it pollution , greenhouse gas emissions, noise and energy consumption .
On the other hand, cities are becoming more and more dispersed, which leads to greater needs for travel, encouraging more use of private vehicles to travel from the outskirts to the city centres , where the main shops, offices, work centres or leisure centres are located.
Urban mobility thus becomes a major challenge facing urban centres , and it must be managed appropriately, responding to the needs of the population (citizens and businesses) at the lowest possible economic, environmental and energy cost. Let us consider that the productivity generated in the city depends on whether this urban mobility or transport system is efficient .
The mobility needs of citizens and those of the distribution of goods must therefore be balanced with environmental protection, global economic development and social cohesion .
Within this context that we have defined, would there be advantages to using electric vehicles in urban freight distribution? Would logistics operators save money by using this type of vehicle?
Many companies in the logistics sector are already investing in this method, using, for example, bicycles assisted by electric motors to deliver packages in the neighbourhoods of city centres, or lighter electric vehicles that are perfectly adapted to the narrow streets of cities.
Some of the reasons that are encouraging the use of this type of vehicle are the following:
Savings in costs , fuel expenses or maintenance of the vehicle itself.
Reduction of air pollution and CO 2 emissions .
Better company image , by being more responsible with the Environment.
Facilities when carrying out loading and unloading operations , or when accessing areas of the city that are restricted to polluting vehicles, such as gasoline or diesel vehicles.
These reasons help us to reflect and understand how the increased use of electric vehicles optimizes urban distribution of goods and enables companies to differentiate themselves from the competition, thus achieving a competitive advantage in the market .