Operational performance of light electric freight vehicles in the last mile: two Nordic case studies

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the introduction and performance of light electric freight vehicles (LEFVs), more specifically cargo cycles in major 3PL organizations in at least two Nordic countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Case studies. Interviews. Company data on performance before as well as after the introduction. Study of differing business models as well as operational setups.

Findings

The results from the studied cases show that LEFVs can compete with conventional vans in last mile delivery operations of e-commerce parcels. We account for when this might be the case, during which circumstances and why.

Research limitations/implications

Inherent limitations of the case study approach, specifically on generalization. Future research to include more public–private partnership and multi-actor approach for scalability.

Practical implications

Adding to knowledge on the public sector facilitation necessary to succeed with implementation and identifying cases in which LEFVs might offer efficiency gains over more traditional delivery vehicles.

Originality/value

One novelty is the access to detailed data from before the implementation of new vehicles and the data after the implementation. A fair comparison is made possible by the operational structure, area of delivery, number of customers, customer density, type of packages, and to some extent, the number of packages being quite similar. Additionally, we provide data showing how city hubs can allow cargo cycles to work synergistically with delivery vans. This is valuable information for organizations thinking of trying LEFVs in operations as well as municipalities/local authorities that are interested.