Hermes Germany: cargo bikes are simply a perfect addition to parcel delivery
Hermes Germany is testing two cargo bikes from the Berlin manufacturer citkar in Dresden and Leipzig. With the findings of the Hermes pilot test, citkar wants to bring a cargo bike tailored to the CEP industry onto the market.
“Especially in cities like Leipzig and Dresden with the high volume of traffic and the immense stopping density for our delivery staff, cargo bikes are simply a perfect addition to parcel delivery,” explains Martin Jugel, Last Mile Manager of the Leipzig Area at Hermes Germany.
The citkar “Loadster” model is equipped with the latest e-bike technology and is expanded to include modules from the automotive sector. The various modular structures such as cool boxes or an additional trailer meet all expectations of a future-oriented, environmentally friendly commercial vehicle. And this can even be driven without a license. In addition, especially in large cities, the cargo bike can reach a speed that is difficult to achieve by car.
The demands on a cargo bike for the CEP industry are diverse: for example, a high degree of flexibility in order to be able to deliver in narrow streets without problems, to relieve the city traffic and to develop new groups of employees. This is where the cooperation between citkar and Hermes begins.
“Due to the growing volume of deliveries, the transport of the last mile has to be completely rethought in order to develop future-proof, feasible and, above all, sustainable concepts,” says Jonas Kremer, founder and CEO of citkar. The two cargo bikes will be put to the acid test for four weeks each in the inner cities of Dresden and Leipzig. The findings are then used to further develop the cargo bike.
“We have already worked with a number of cargo bike manufacturers, to adapt the wheels even better to the CEP industry. And we just like the citkar model very much. The advantages are obvious, ”adds Martin Jugel.
High payload and different loading areas
The citkar “Loadster” is particularly suitable for parcel delivery due to its high payload – of up to 200 kilograms. In test operation, up to 90 shipments per day can be delivered per cargo bike in Dresden’s old town. The cargo bikes deliver the parcels and parcels from a central delivery base. The modular structure of the cargo bike is also a great advantage. The mix of shipments transported by the cargo bike ranges from textile shipments in bags to small parcels and larger electronic devices.In the next few weeks of testing, the main focus will be on battery performance, robustness in road traffic and driving behavior. There has already been positive feedback on the last point: “The first weeks of testing have shown that our riders are very satisfied with the bike and that the residents are also very positive about the alternative delivery method,” says Martin Jugel with an initial positive Conclusion.Following the four-week pilot in Dresden, the bikes will also be used for daily deliveries in Leipzig for a month.
