The number of light commercial vehicles (LCV) in cities is growing, which puts increasing pressure on the liveability of cities. Small electric freight vehicles and cargo bikes can offer a solution, as they take less space, can manoeuvre easily and free from polluting emissions. Within the two-year LEVV-LOGIC project, (2016-2018) the use of light electric freight vehicles (LEFVs) for city logistics is explored. The project combines expertise on logistics, vehicle design, charging infrastructure and business modelling to find the optimal concept. This paper presents guidelines for the design of LEFV based on the standardized rolling container (length 800 mm, width 640 mm, height 1600 mm) and for the charging infrastructure.
DOCUMENT
The number of light commercial vehicles (LCV) in cities is growing, which puts increasing pressure on the livability of cities. Freight vehicles are large contributors to polluting air and CO2 emissions and generate problems in terms of safety, noise and loss of public space. Small electric freight vehicles and cargo bikes can offer a solution, as they take less space, can maneuver easily and do not emit local pollution. There is an increasing interest in these vehicle, called light electric freight vehicles (LEFV’s), among logistic service providers in European cities. However, various technical and operational challenges impede large scale implementation. Within the two-year LEVV-LOGIC project, (2016-2018) the use of LEFV’s for city logistics is explored. The project combines expertise on logistics, vehicle design, charging infrastructure and business modelling to find the optimal concept in which LEFV’s can be a financial competitive alternative for conventional freight vehicles. This contribution to EVS30 will present the project’s first year results, showing the guideline for and the applied design of LEFV for future urban city logistics.
DOCUMENT
Road freight transport contributes to 75% of the global logistics CO2 emissions. Various European initiatives are calling for a drastic cut-down of CO2 emissions in this sector [1]. This requires advanced and very expensive technological innovations; i.e. re-design of vehicle units, hybridization of powertrains and autonomous vehicle technology. One particular innovation that aims to solve this problem is multi-articulated vehicles (road-trains). They have a smaller footprint and better efficiency of transport than traditional transport vehicles like trucks. In line with the missions for Energy Transition and Sustainability [2], road-trains can have zero-emission powertrains leading to clean and sustainable urban mobility of people and goods. However, multiple articulations in a vehicle pose a problem of reversing the vehicle. Since it is extremely difficult to predict the sideways movement of the vehicle combination while reversing, no driver can master this process. This is also the problem faced by the drivers of TRENS Solar Train’s vehicle, which is a multi-articulated modular electric road vehicle. It can be used for transporting cargo as well as passengers in tight environments, making it suitable for operation in urban areas. This project aims to develop a reverse assist system to help drivers reverse multi-articulated vehicles like the TRENS Solar Train, enabling them to maneuver backward when the need arises in its operations, safely and predictably. This will subsequently provide multi-articulated vehicle users with a sustainable and economically viable option for the transport of cargo and passengers with unrestricted maneuverability resulting in better application and adding to the innovation in sustainable road transport.
