COVID-19 has changed the last-mile delivery sector for good. With e-commerce usage booming, last-mile logistics fleets must keep on top of the latest automotive technology to stay competitive. Electrification will be a crucial technology given these company’s urban operating domains. By the same logic, products such as e-bikes will also help operators meet emissions requirements. Connectivity too will help shave vital seconds off each delivery and refine operations to help scale appropriately with rising consumer demand.
Autonomy might also thrive, even despite the complex nature of city streets. Proponents argue that by shipping goods rather than people that they can focus more on threats outside the vehicle rather than protecting what lies within. Question do remain on the last 50ft of delivery, however. For instance, how can an AV get a package from vehicle to door? And where this is not possible—such as in high rise flats—how far will customers be willing to travel to retrieve their goods?
Success is not guaranteed. For fleets, failure to keep pace amidst ever-shrinking delivery windows could push customers towards their competitors. And for OEMs, it appears there may not be enough room in this market for all incumbents and the increasing array of start-ups to survive in tandem. However, rest assured that those that do get it right stand to win big in the last-mile.
In this report:
- Executive summary
- Last-mile delivery poised for huge growth after e-commerce boom
- How will new mobility disrupt parcel delivery?
- Self-driving might be fractionally easier to pull off in the last-mile sector
- Fleets need smart, connected and ergonomic last-mile vehicles
- Are small electric delivery vans the future?
- Fleet partnerships essential for electric van start-up success
- Connectivity’s importance in the last-mile grows
'Special report: Last-mile delivery’ presents insight from:
- Astheimer Design
- Continental
- DHL
- Electric Last Mile Solutions
- Free2Move
- Frost & Sullivan
- Here Technologies
- McKinsey
- Nuro
- Stellantis
- Tropos Motors
- Workhorse
