by Walther Ploos van Amstel
“Why has it suddenly become so expensive?” a long-term customer asked last week when the account manager explained that the company would soon start driving electric trucks. That is a fair question. Anyone looking only at the price tag will be shocked: electric trucks are more expensive to purchase, charging infrastructure adds costs, and planning …
The last mile of parcel delivery – the movement from local depots to consumers – is becoming one of the biggest challenges in urban logistics. With booming e-commerce and fast delivery expectations, this stage is both the most costly and the most polluting part of the supply chain. Last-mile operations can account for more than …
Urban freight distribution has become one of the toughest sustainability challenges for modern cities. In a new study published in Transportation Research Part D, Jiménez and colleagues analyse how different distribution strategies influence operational efficiency and environmental impact of city logistics. Their goal is clear: to quantify how choices about vehicle deployment, routing, and consolidation …
The global road-transport sector is speeding toward electrification. From delivery vans to heavy-duty trucks, the transition to zero-emission transport is gathering momentum. Yet despite clear climate ambitions and growing regulatory pressure, many operators still face the same fundamental obstacle: the high upfront cost of electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to keep them running. A …
The transition to zero-emission city logistics is not only about switching from diesel vans to electric ones. It’s also about rethinking the very vehicles we use. A recent study published in Future Transportation (2025) by Lucia Colonna, Edoardo Marcucci, Valerio Gatta, and Antonio Comi takes a deep look at one of the most promising alternatives …
The decision to electrify is logical; almost inevitable. Yet saying goodbye to diesel is far from painless. Those who see the transition merely as adding electric trucks, while neglecting the phasing out of their diesel fleet, risk operational chaos: inefficiencies, reduced CO₂ savings, financial pressure, and a workforce left behind. First, there’s capacity. Halting diesel …
Four major European transport and logistics organisations – IRU, CLECAT, the European Shippers’ Council, and the Global Cold Chain Alliance – have written a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging her to abandon plans for mandatory zero-emission truck demand targets. While the sector supports the EU’s goal of decarbonising road …
Major food and grocery delivery platforms today launched an industry-led alliance to accelerate the shift to zero-emission food and grocery deliveries. The UN Deliver-E Coalition aims to switch to zero-emission two- and three-wheeler vehicles globally. The founding Members of the Deliver-E Coalition – Delivery Hero, DoorDash, iFood, Mr D, Swiggy, Uber, Wolt, and Zomato — are …
The 2025 E-Commerce Trends Report: Business Edition by DHL reveals how digital transformation, sustainability, and AI are redefining global e-commerce. Drawing insights from 4,050 businesses across 19 countries, the study identifies five key developments shaping the sector: technological acceleration, omnichannel selling, sustainable operations, new payment and subscription models, and evolving B2B expectations. Technology and AIArtificial …
The European Commission’s Prospective Study on the Future of the Postal Sector (2024) provides a detailed picture of how Europe’s delivery ecosystem is expected to evolve by 2040. Conducted by RPA Europe and RAND Europe, the study supports the preparation of a new EU Delivery Act, planned for 2026, and offers insight into how digitalisation, …