UPS testing power-assisted delivery trailers in London

UPS has started trials using bikes and power-assisted trailers to deliver parcels in London.

In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (22 November), UPS said that, if the trial proves successful, the  “depot-to-door delivery” Low Impact City Logistics project “could change the way packages are delivered in cities in the UK”.

As previously reported by Post&Parcel, five organizations – UPS, Fernhay, Skotkonung, University of Huddersfield, and Outspoken Delivery – are involved in the project.

Packages will be loaded onto pay load boxes at the depot and delivered by a single trailer to a central hub located within a busy urban area. The boxes are distributed from the hub via power-assisted trailers. The packages are then delivered to homes and businesses by bicycle or on foot.

The pay load boxes are moved by electric assisted trailers which feature patented net-neutral technology, which means the weight of the parcels – up to 200 kilograms – isn’t felt by the handler. This allows for increased last mile deliveries in a sustainable manner. The trial will feature bike trailers making deliveries in and around Camden during November and December.

The Low Impact City Logistics project is part of a £10m investment by Innovate UK in a range of collaborative research and development projects designed to improve logistics for people and freight. Fernhay led the design and development of the prototype trailer and pay load box, supported by the University of Huddersfield. According to Fernhay’s Robin Haycock: “All drivers, regardless of their fitness level, will be able to make deliveries using our new system.”

Outspoken Delivery conducted initial trials of the system earlier in 2017.

“Low Impact City Logistics is a collaborative project that could revolutionize the way we deliver packages in our cities,” said Peter Harris, Director of Sustainability, UPS Europe. “UPS has a long history of developing, deploying and promoting the use of more sustainable technology and delivery methods – and this collaboration will facilitate a one-of-a-kind urban delivery solution.”

UPS has been trialing “sustainable” delivery solutions in many cities across Europe and the Americas.

UPS also teamed up with GreenBiz teamed up earlier this year to publish “The Road to Sustainable Urban Logistics,” which provides a global view of the changing urban delivery landscape.

According to UPS: “The study determined that strong public-private partnerships, like this Low Impact City Logistics project in central London, are critical to the successful implementation of forward-thinking new delivery solutions in urban environments – and that a wide array of approaches are often required to solve the unique needs of the world’s largest cities.”