Die CDU/CSU ist dafür, BMW ist dagegen: Sollen die CO2-Grenzwerte der EU verschoben werden?
Branchen-Newsletter
Wir informieren Sie kostenlos zweimal wöchentlich über die aktuellen Entwicklungen in Sachen New Mobility.
Meist gelesen
Aktueller Top Event
Branchenguide
At the CONFERENCE DAYS 2024 on Friday, Johannes Reichel, Head of the Test and Technology Department, discussed the topic "Sustainable City Logistics with Cargo Bikes and Light Electric Vehicles" with guests. Joining him in the virtual studio were Markus Graf, Managing Director of light electric vehicle manufacturer TYN-e GmbH, Martin Schmidt, Chairman of the Bicycle Logistics Association Germany e.V. and also owner of Cycle Logistics CL GmbH, as well as Inga Töller, Chief Growth Officer at cargo bike manufacturer Onomotion GmbH. Also represented in the round was Filip Gubala from Mercedes-Benz Vans. Together with Onomotion, the company is investigating a combined cargo bike-van solution for the last mile with the SUSTAINEER technology carrier.
In the opening, cargo bike expert Reichel immediately pointed to the issues slowing down cargo bike logistics: the still unresolved chicken-and-egg problem of high costs with low production numbers of cargo bikes, the difficult situation regarding suitable properties for micro depots in the city, the poorly developed traffic infrastructure for (heavy) cargo bikes, as well as yet unresolved regulatory tasks; in particular, the easier establishment of 30 km/h zones and delivery areas. Nevertheless, there are numerous successful cargo bike logistics projects. Recently, for instance, the significant advantages of urban cargo bike logistics in terms of speed (double), delivery predictability, emissions (halved), and especially costs (ten times smaller) were scientifically determined at Urbike in Brussels, as Reichel reported.
In his keynote speech, Markus Graf von TYN-e pointed out that delivery in logistics is still a bottleneck. The company has a strong background in newspaper and postal delivery and has only recently transformed into a vehicle manufacturer. At that time, they had started the project of delivery with cargo bikes, but they had not found economically viable and technically reliable vehicles on the market in 2021. The company continues to pursue the development of a heavy electric cargo bike costing well under 10,000 euros with a payload of just under 300 kilos as part of the company's overall portfolio and has firmly planned this. The challenge here is to balance ecology and economy. Political subsidies in pilot projects are often too short-lived. The result was the in-house development of the electric small transporter "TYN-e," with which they will now be on the market in 19 countries on five continents in 2024. For him, the vehicle issue is now fundamentally solved; the last-mile problems are now different:
"We are talking about cargo bikes and small vehicles, but a key factor is the infrastructure," said Graf.
What is particularly lacking are loading bays and microdepots, and entry restrictions are also an annoyance.
Inga Töller from Onomotion then gave the impulse that future supply chains into the city will likely be a combination of cargo bikes and (electric) transporters or trucks. "We originally set out to make logistics quieter and to replace the transporter," said Töller. However, nowadays a collaboration seems quite sensible. Töller refers in this context to a recent study by EIT Inno Energy, which identifies cost reductions in mixed e-fleets within the CEP sector. In this study, a delivery fleet consisting of 100 percent e-vans incurs calculated costs of 1.46 euros per package, while a mixed fleet with 60 percent cargo bikes and 40 percent vans comes to 1.38 euros – also in an example calculation. In this sense, the joint project with Mercedes-Benz Vans and their technology carrier "SUSTAINEER" should be viewed.
Filip Gubala from Mercedes-Benz gladly picks up on this discussion point.
With the "SUSTAINEER" based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, "we want to show what is already possible today," said Gubala.
The vehicle is intended to transport pre-configured transport boxes from the distribution center to the city on the "middle mile". There, the boxes are unloaded via a hydraulic container lift and directly picked up by Onomotion cargo bikes. This transfer is completed in just a few minutes. The project has now moved past the development phase. Currently, they are in the process of evaluating a pilot project in a larger city together with a CEP large fleet customer. In the long term, there will also be a long version with a capacity for two boxes.
A Look into Practice
The insight into the practice of delivery by cargo bike was then provided by Martin Schmidt. As Chairman of the German Bicycle Logistics Association, which he knows from his increasingly noticeable lobbying for cargo bike logistics, and owner of Cycle Logistics CL GmbH in Berlin, he knows the state of development in cargo bikes like no other. Schmidt also currently sees infrastructure as a major obstacle to comprehensive last-mile delivery by cargo bike.
"Even the large cargo bikes belong on the bike path," was his impulse. "We just don't have the right bike paths!"
Schmidt also advocates for the further professionalization of financing and production of cargo bikes. Of course, cheaper bikes are needed for more profitability. "We are nowhere near the maturity of vehicles compared to cars; there's a 150-year developmental lead in between." Nevertheless, he also concludes:
"If the service works, cargo bikes are already economical today."
Incidentally, he also combines light commercial vehicles – and deliveries arriving at the micro-depot by transporter for further fine distribution by bike are “fully loaded”.
The Berlin cargo bike logistics expert is very concerned with economic efficiency anyway.
"You can't just rely on subsidies," said Schmidt. "It has to become a business case as well."
This also means, according to Schmidt, that the customer must be willing to pay more for a more sustainable transport service.
The service for cargo bikes also has a significant impact on profitability, continued the cargo bike logistics expert. He has set up a special service subsidiary in and for Berlin, specializing in cargo bike repairs. "There are no real service networks for this in Germany yet." Inga Töller from Onomotion counters that they have already established service structures with trained and certified partner companies in metropolitan areas.
Regarding the economic efficiency of cargo bike use, the discussion quickly shifted to vehicle production. Martin Graf from TYN-e points out that his vehicles are manufactured in Asia because they can be offered 20 to 30 percent cheaper than with production in Germany. Inga Töller from Onomotion, on the other hand, advocates for their production in Germany, which she considers more sustainable. Filip Gubala from Mercedes-Benz adds that they consciously chose a partner with German manufacturing. Quality aspects were decisive, but also the quick response times due to the proximity.
"And what needs to happen for cargo bikes to take off in logistics soon?" asked moderator Johannes Reichel in conclusion.
Inga Töller and Markus Graf hope for more long-term commitment from cities and municipalities to provide appropriate transshipment areas. Filip Gubala sees the interface between cargo bikes and other modes of transport as crucial. And Martin Schmidt wishes for a change in societal values that makes transport by cargo bike economically more interesting.
Translated automatically from German.
Branchenguide
Elektromobilität , Newsletter Elektromobilität , IAA Mobility , SUVs und Geländewagen , Hybrid , Antriebsarten, Kraftstoffe und Emissionen , Oberklasse- und Sportwagen , Carsharing , Autonomes Fahren (Straßenverkehr) , Ladeinfrastruktur , Verkehrspolitik , Formel E , Brennstoffzellen , Fahrzeug-Vernetzung und -Kommunikation , Fahrzeuge & Fuhrpark , Automotive-Messen & Veranstaltungen , Pkw, Kompakt- und Mittelklasse , Minis und Kleinwagen , E-Auto-Datenbank, E-Mobilität-/Automotive-Newsletter, E-Auto-Tests
