In cooperation with startup, citkar, this October Zalando is testing an alternative to traditional parcel delivery in Berlin with the Loadster e-bike. The Space-saving, fast and efficient Loadster, a 500-liter freight e-bike, brings parcel delivery off the road and onto the cycle path.
In a pilot project in Berlin Zalando and citkar, a startup for urban mobility, want to discover to what extent the e-bike can be used as a delivery method alongside the car, especially in city centers.
Loadster
The Loadster can use the cycle path as an e-bike and, at an average speed of 25 kilometers per hour, is potentially faster than conventional delivery vehicles on the road. One-way streets and scarce parking spaces are no longer a problem due to the use of the cycle path. Parcel delivery not only saves CO2 emissions but also reduces the burden on city traffic in Berlin. The electric motor assists the driver while a roof keeps off the rain. citkar founder, Jonas Kremer wants to create an alternative to the car with the Loadster: “Berlin is full of large cars that can only be used by one person, unnecessarily polluting the environment.”
Zalando: same day tours
For Zalando, however, the Loadster is not only an alternative to passenger transport but also in logistics for “Same Day Tours.” These are orders that are placed in the morning and delivered the same evening. Jan Bartels, Vice President Customer Fulfillment & Logistics at Zalando says, “citkar is a good partner who develops vehicles with last mile delivery in mind. We are always on the lookout for precisely these kinds of innovative ideas that we can test because testing is part of the ‘Zalando DNA.’”
Let’s hope Zalando is also a good partner with the cyclists on the cycle path!
Source: Zalando