UPS trialing eBikes in Paris
UPS has begun testing the use of eBikes to make deliveries in central Paris.
The test is being done in collaboration with the City of Paris, the arrondissement administration and Urban Lab, the urban laboratory of Paris&Co, and is part of a wider programme in Paris to test innovative solutions for urban logistics.
The six-month test began last month (April) and will see UPS delivering packages with two eBikes in the 2eme arrondissement from a trailer parked in a specially-marked spaced reserved for the duration of the test. The trailer full of packages for delivery will be transported every morning from UPS’s Paris hub in Charenton, and will be returned to the hub every evening with packages that have been picked up throughout the day.
“It was important to run this experiment in a dense urban neighborhood, where the challenges facing logistics companies are similar to what they face in other urban centres. The results of the test will be all the more relevant,” said Elise Batkin, program manager, sustainable urbans logistics, Urban Lab.
“Using an eBike in the center of Paris will make UPS deliveries more efficient, both in terms of operational cost as well as environmental impact,” said Edouard Barreiro, director of public affairs, UPS West Europe. “UPS sees itself as part of the solution to urban congestion and continues to work as a partner in reducing the environmental impact of package delivery in crowded city centers worldwide.”
Christophe Najdovski, deputy mayor of Paris responsible for transport, roads, and public space, added: “Consumer behavior is changing and cities are seeing increasing numbers of large commercial vehicles, which can cause congestion and pollution. These changes also need to make us reconsider the use of traditional loading and unloading zones. To support businesses in the pursuit of more sustainable delivery solutions, the City of Paris is making its neighborhoods available for testing. After evaluating new solutions tested under real conditions, which is essential for measuring benefits and scalability, we will consider the regulatory changes needed for wider deployment.”
UPS is currently running inner-city projects with delivery on foot and by bike in the German cities of Frankfurt, Offenbach, Hamburg, Munich, Oldenburg and Herne, as well as in Leuven, Belgium; Rome and Verona, Italy; Toulouse, France; Vienna, Austria; London; and Dublin, Ireland. In the US, the company using eBikes in Pittsburgh and Fort Lauderdale.
