Hypermotion 2020: Mobility and Logistics Connect

For this, the trade fair company had launched numerous new, virtual formats and offered, as part of Hypermotion, in addition to an extensive forum program, among other things, the opportunity to network virtually with other visitors or to engage in conversations with exhibitors. HUSS-VERLAG participated with three VISION mobility THINK TANKS and two Logistics Digital Conference Sessions.

Intensive Debates: Pros and Cons of V2G

The first THINK TANK presented quite different views: While Stefan Baumann from The Mobility House would welcome the Vehicle2Grid technology to use electric cars, especially in larger numbers, as "large buffer storage," Christoph Erni from Juice Technology rather rejected it, as it would take away flexibility from customers. Meanwhile, Lukas Schmitt from MVV Enamic presented an interim solution on the subject: To expand the charging points at customer Linde from 22 to a three-digit number in the future, they had generously pre-planned the transformer and connection capacity. All three agreed on the fact that, regardless of which technical innovations might come, the lights won't go out even if road traffic is converted to 100 percent electric mobility in the future. 

Advantage for Start-ups in the Crisis: Lean Structures

In the second THINK TANK, the topic of Covid-19 took up a lot of space and immediately sparked a discussion: All three start-ups had to replan but saw definite advantages in their lean structures in this context. This way, they could and can adapt relatively quickly to new conditions. Nevertheless, Jörg Hofmann, CEO of LEVC, hoped that they were currently going through the "last lockdown" and had learned from this problem. The idea that start-ups could survive with two- or three-digit minimum quantities was rejected by the LEVC CEO, a stance agreed upon by the other panel participants: According to Patrick Seidel, Director of Strategy and Business Development at Bio-Hybrid, and Evum CEO Sascha Koberstaedt, Bio-Hybrid and Evum Motors also paid attention to a maximally flexible product platform and production.

Light Electric Mobility: There's Quite a Bit Going On

In the third THINK TANK, the discussion round "Light Electric Mobility on the Rise" emphasized the potential of LEVs in various segments. Across industries, there is a growing interest in e-scooters, e-cargo bikes, and light e-transporters. It doesn't always have to be a company car, noted Franziska Fenzke, Director of Marketing & PR at the e-scooter specialist Govecs. For example, they recently offered a corporate scooter leasing model. She also advocated not focusing solely on the "ownership" of a vehicle but also on sharing models, which are increasingly popular even in the e-scooter sector.

Efficient in Energy and Space

Building on this, Christian Lademann, responsible for Sales & Marketing at the e-cargo bike start-up VOWAG, referred to practical examples where e-scooters and batteries are transported on the provider's heavy e-cargo bike, which now even offers up to 500 kilos of payload. Instead of a diesel transporter, this is a much more eco-friendly and space-saving alternative, which also fits well with the business models of sustainable scooter sharing, argued Lademann. In addition to emission-free and energy efficiency, Gordon Krug, Head of Marketing at the Mosolf Group and responsible for the spin-off company Tropos Motors, pointed out the space advantages. The initially skeptical drivers in a pilot deployment at Hermes were later enthusiastic about the maneuverability and low space requirements of the electrically powered L7e transporter.

Fuel Cell: The New Diesel for Trucks

Is the fuel cell and hydrogen as fuel the solution for powering heavy trucks? And if so: When will it be ready. Prof. Dr. Birgit Scheppach from the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences and board member of the H2BZ Initiative Hessen, Rolf Meyer from Meyer & Meyer Logistics, Mark Freymüller, CEO of Hydrogen Mobility AG, and Dr. David Flaschenträger, battery expert at truck converter Quantron, discussed this topic together with the Head of Test & Technology of the newspaper Transport at the Logistics Digital Conference as part of Hypermotion. The participants largely agreed that the technology itself already works well. This is also shown by the Hyundai Excient project in Switzerland, which is currently starting with the first heavy three-axle delivery trucks. Numerous prototypes are starting in the USA and Europe. What is still missing is infrastructure. This includes the production of "green" hydrogen as well as a network of refueling stations. The conclusion after an hour of intensive exchange of ideas: Now it’s up to the politicians to ensure that hydrogen technology continues to develop rapidly.

Reducing Returns: Hidden Potentials in Delivery Traffic

Returns have come under fire over the past year due to media reports on the destruction of returned goods. How online retailers can handle returns sensibly and efficiently
was the topic of the LOGISTIK HEUTE session, which took place as part of the Logistics Digital
Conference. Under the motto "E-Commerce Logistics: The Returns Issue in
Focus," LOGISTIK HEUTE editor-in-chief Matthias Pieringer discussed with representatives from the German E-Commerce and Mail Order Association (bevh), Arvato Supply Chain Solutions, Trusted Returns, and Miebach Consulting suitable measures to process returns at lower costs, act more sustainably, and still keep customer satisfaction a priority.

According to Gero Furchheim, president of bevh, this first requires understanding what returns actually are and recognizing that they are a legitimate part of a regular business process. Artjom Bruch, founder and managing director of the return specialist Trusted Returns, advocates for more customer involvement in the return process. "The more transparency and information we provide within return management, the more consciously consumers can deal with the issue. Supported by digital tools such as virtual labels or AI-based analysis tools, it's possible from the expert's perspective to better understand the customer and potentially avoid unnecessary returns."

All videos are available from November 18, 2020, on transport.de, vision-mobility.de, and logistik-heute.de.

What does this mean?

Messe Frankfurt is consolidating its strengths regarding mobility fairs: Hypermotion will take place next year for the first time concurrently with Automechanika Frankfurt, the leading international trade fair for the automotive aftermarket. This will be during the first three event days from September 14 to 16, 2021, while Automechanika will be open to visitors from September 14 to 18.