Visitors to POST-EXPO 2018 will have the opportunity to explore the future of the last mile.
With less than a week to go to the event in Hamburg (October 8-11), Postal and Parcel Technology International highlights just a few of the latest innovative technologies in the last-mile sector that are to be showcased at the four-day event.
Multimodal transportation solution for sustainable and efficient last-mile delivery
Nüwiel, a German company founded to address the need for safe and convenient sustainable mobility solutions in urban areas, will present an intelligent electric cargo trailer designed to be used with a bike or as a handcart. The company’s sensor technology enables the trailer to accelerate, decelerate and brake automatically with the bike.
“A cyclist doesn’t have to make any additional effort and yet can carry 150kg (330 lb) without noticing it,” says a company spokesperson. The trailer can be very easily and quickly connected to any bike, electric bike and even a cargo bike.
“Disconnected from the bike, it can be used as an electric handcart for indoor use and in pedestrian areas. Visitors to POST-EXPO will be able to trial the Nüwiel trailer for themselves, with live demonstrations on the stand.
Nüwiel GmbH
Stand B4.100
Connected, high-load-capable electric scooter optimized for fleet management
Silence, an electric motorcycle company based in Barcelona, Spain, will unveil its new S03 model at this year’s POST-EXPO in Hamburg. The connected S03 electric scooter is a three-wheeled motorcycle, with one front and two rear wheels, which provides great stability for last-mile delivery. These characteristics are ideal for carrying out all-day-long, clean and autonomous transfers, making deliveries more efficient.
Its rear trunk and the front hook support up to 120kg (265 lb) of load [100kg (220 lb) behind and 20kg (44 lb) in front], with a total capacity of 395kg (870 lb) of maximum authorized weight.
The new model has an exclusive stabilization system when stopped, which offers greater adaptation in irregular terrain. In addition, it incorporates a combined braking and reverse system, to facilitate various maneuvers, making transport more comfortable and efficient.
Two 4kW engines, in both rear wheels, power the S03 scooter to a top speed of 100km/h (60mph). The scooter can be purchased with a battery capacity of 4kWh or 6kWh, achieving a homologated range (Euro IV) of up to 215km (134 miles).
The new S03 scooter incorporates a fleet management service, which enables companies to receive detailed information on the state of the motorcycles, the usability of the vehicle by the worker, the battery charge, CO₂ savings or the geolocation of each scooter.
All this information is received immediately through a company back office, making fleet management much more optimal, with immediate and real results.
Silence Urban Ecomobility
Stand B2.405
Optimization system for light electric vehicles for the last mile
Paztir CEO Andrej Sobotkiewicz will be making the case for cycle logistics at this year’s POST-EXPO, both on the company’s stand (B1.426), as well as at the POST-EXPO Conference, where he will give a presentation focusing on containerization, visibility and automation in cycle logistics. The presentation will take place at 11am on October 11 during the sustainability and urban congestion session, moderated by Derek Osborn.
Titled, ‘Making the case for cycle logistics with containerization, visibility and automation’, Sobotkiewicz’s presentation will argue that the container sizes used by light electric vehicles in the last mile must be standardized, matching the sizes used in the industry since the late 19th century, while showing the benefits such standardization could bring.
The Paztir system supports containerization, automates manual processes and makes visibility in the last mile possible.
The hardware part of the Paztir system consists of a Paztir device attached to the bike and a keyless access token. The device – a tough, IP65-rated weatherproof box – is the heart of the system, automatically controlling the locks, and sending to and receiving commands and data from the cloud, such as locking status and location.
The handy, light, keyless token acts as a contactless access key. When the keyless token is in proximity to the device, unlocking happens simply by pressing a button; otherwise the bike and box remain safely locked.
A ‘lock automation’ feature allows riders to shave 30 valuable seconds off each delivery or collection. For a typical operator, this adds up to a saving of around 40-50 minutes per day, per vehicle. But as well as speed, security is of paramount importance for cycle logistics operators. For this reason, Paztir includes built-in features such as force impact recognition and audible notifications, keeping packages, bikes and riders safe.
A dedicated web app gives fleet managers a remote, cloud-connected overview, allowing them to track vehicles, compare performance, optimize processes and carry out user management tasks such as asset tracking and access control.
“Last-mile logistics are expensive and complicated. They make up the biggest cost in the whole delivery process and have a huge impact on the environment. It’s an urban jungle,” says Sobotkiewicz.
“Paztir develops tools to bring deliveries on light electric vehicles in the last mile under control. We provide visibility, security and connectivity in order to reduce costs, minimize delays and enable better customer experience for any logistics company using light electric vehicles,” he continues.
“Currently, because of manual, unstandardized processes, a delivery manager loses 40 minutes and every driver 30 minutes every day in sorting alone. Then there is another 40-50 minutes lost per driver to operate the manual bike and box locks.”
Paztir
Stand B1.426
Live demo: Compact electric delivery vehicles in service with PostNord
First-time exhibitor Garia Utility will be attending POST-EXPO 2018 to showcase its range of compact electric vehicles that combine reliability, ergonomics and zero emissions with comfort, functionality and design. The Scandinavian company will showcase its full range of postal service cars, including models from its recent PostNord utility fleet.
Visitors to the Garia Utility stand will experience the innovation behind the company’s utility vehicles and see the special features developed specifically for postal services.
The company will provide interested parties with a hands-on interaction with the vehicles, and staff will be on hand to talk in depth about the mechanics behind the postal car.
Garia Utility
Stand B4.242/B4.248
Conference presentation: Solving last mile with the crowd
As part of the ‘Innovation and options in the last mile’ session of the POST-EXPO Conference on Tuesday, October 9, Ari Kestin, CEO of Switzerland-based Nimber, will explore how delivery to the home – the last mile – is one of the most challenging aspect of logistics.
“By 2022 it is estimated that over 20% of all non-grocery retail revenue in the EU will come from online, and many of these purchases will be delivered to the home,” says Kestin.
Delegates will discover how Nimber is building a last-mile delivery network to solve the challenge of delivering to the home, replacing and complementing incumbent solutions.