Amazon is working with partners to use a tram to deliver parcels to the center of Frankfurt, where electric cargo bikes complete the delivery, creating a zero-tailpipe emission journey from the delivery station to the customer.
In collaboration with partners, Amazon is launching a pilot project in Germany: the Gütertram – a tram used exclusively for parcel transport. The pilot project is part of the ‘LastMileTram RheinMain V’ research project of Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS), together with Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF) and Intermodal City Injections (a collaboration between Amazon Transportation Services (ATS) and Amazon Logistics (AMZL) teams).
This project from Amazon’s Intermodal City Injections program seeks to develop innovative ways to move parcels in the network to the customer. This program brings together expertise from ATS and AMZL. These rail and waterway modes could soon ensure that even more parcels are delivered quickly, with zero tailpipe emissions, while reducing road congestion for the citizens of major cities like Frankfurt.
With Amazon’s Climate Pledge, the company has set itself the goal of becoming CO2-neutral by 2040. The electrification of the transport network plays an important role in this. That is why Amazon constantly develops, tests, and invests in new solutions, such as Gütertram.
The emission-free trio
Of course, not all customers live right next to a tram stop. So how does the ‘last mile’—the final leg from the distribution center to the front door—remain free of tailpipe emissions? In this operational design, electric vans transport parcels from the delivery station to the first tram stop on the city’s outskirts. The tram then carries them electrically to the city center, and from there, electric cargo bikes deliver the parcels to the customers. They avoid traffic jams within the city —without emitting any carbon as they move.
Martin Andersen, MEU Country Director, Amazon Logistics, said: “The decarbonization of our logistics network plays a key role in achieving the goal of The Climate Pledge. We are therefore delighted to be working with VGF and UAS on this project.”
Source: Amazon