United States Department of Transportation
i
Alternative Vehicles for Last Mile Freight
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2019-12-01
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[PDF-11.96 MB]
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Edition:Final Report October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2019
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Abstract:This research addresses alternative vehicle use for last mile freight. To overcome the limitation in data availability, an e-trike delivery company was visited, and GPS data were collected during October and November 2017. We used different data analysis approaches to understand the characteristics of the delivery system including, speed, travel distances, travel times, stop locations and durations. Next, we constructed two simulations to evaluate the costs of the system and estimate the costs if the company utilized vans (all or a mixed fleet) for deliveries for the same e-bike delivery company and a test in Nashville. We present the results in different sections. Overall, the associated total costs of a LEV-based delivery system are not dramatically higher than traditional systems. The main factor in cost trade-offs was found to be labor cost. However, along with sustainability initiatives of the system, emissions cost reduces at a large scale. Availability of bike infrastructure, location of distributing center, and density of delivery area are important factors that contribute in competitiveness of a LEV delivery company. With the increase in world population living in urban areas, innovative sustainable solutions are required to address last mile delivery issues in urban cores where there is more traffic congestion and emissions. E-cargo cycles can effectively solve some of these issues by providing less pollutant and reliable modes of transportation for urban logistics. Cities need to evaluate their transportation network and parking policies and investigate the required infrastructure enhancements in their urban cores to provide sufficient space for this type of vehicles.
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