DHL and smart driving ahead with in-car parcel delivery service

DHL Parcel and smart are expanding the coverage of their “smart ready to drop” in-car parcel delivery service in Germany. As previously reported by Post&Parcel, the companies started beta testing the service in Stuttgart in September.

DHL Parcel informed Post&Parcel today that the service was expanded to Cologne in November and it is now set to launch in Berlin and Bonn by the end of January.

The idea is that smart drivers can buy goods online and then arrange for them to be delivered by DHL Parcel to the boot of their smart cars.

The smart cars taking part in the beta test are fitted with a “Connectivity Box” at a smart dealership.

Both the smart driver and the DHL parcel courier use specially designed apps. The vehicle owner uses the smart app to generate a single-use transaction authorization number (TAN) which they enter in the “c/o” box when stating their delivery address for purchases in an online shop.

The DHL parcel courier is informed of the preferred delivery location via an app, receiving time-limited access to the recipient’s car. The single-use TAN the online shopper enters when placing their order enables the courier to locate and open the vehicle within a set period of time. Having gained access to the trunk, the courier can either deposit a parcel or retrieve a shipment for return. Once the courier closes the trunk, the TAN authorizing them access is cancelled. A push message sent via the app notifies the car owner that the delivery has taken place.

According to smart, the beta test is “the biggest In-Car-Delivery pilot Germany has ever seen”.