The DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery concept for city-center deliveries, which started as a research and innovation project, has proven hugely successful. There are already twelve zero-local-emission city-center delivery areas for non-chilled goods in the Dachser network at present, and further growth is planned: at least ten more major European cities are set to follow by 2025.

“DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery proves that we can make groupage deliveries for the last mile emission-free. What started as a research project is now an established part of our business operations, lighting the path to more sustainable city logistics,” says Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Dachser. So far, emission-free delivery of non-chilled parcel and groupage shipments has been rolled out in defined delivery areas in Berlin, Freiburg, Stuttgart, Munich, Dortmund, Copenhagen, Oslo, Prague, Strasbourg, Paris, Madrid, and Porto. These feature a variety of zero-emission vehicles, including battery-electric vans and trucks as well as electrically assisted cargo bikes, which are selected from a modular system to meet local requirements. The bikes are specially designed for groupage and palleted goods weighing up to 250 kilograms. They start their tour at a transit terminal close to the city center—known as a microhub—and carry goods into busy pedestrian zones. The e-trucks in turn supply the microhubs with goods or, for parcels and pallets that are too large or too heavy for bike transport, deliver the goods directly to recipients.

Rollouts planned in additional major cities

When it comes to rolling out the city logistics concept, the availability of zero-emission vehicles and the associated charging infrastructure is a critical factor.

“Since vehicle manufacturers have now ramped up their production capacity, we expect electric trucks to be more readily available in the future,” says Alexander Tonn, Chief Operations Officer Road Logistics at Dachser. “That’s why we’re planning rollouts in at least ten more cities by 2025, in line with the wishes of many of our customers.”

The main focus is on major European cities with populations of at least one million where Dachser’s European Logistics business line already has a branch.

Positive effects on the environment and for drivers

Dachser’s city-center deliveries with zero local emissions help city administrations improve air quality and reduce traffic noise. Because the battery-electric trucks and cargo bikes emit no air pollutants, they play a major part in keeping the air clean. Since Dachser is committed to using only renewable energy, this brings operational greenhouse-gas emissions for the last mile, from the branch to the recipient, down to zero. It also greatly reduces noise emissions from diesel engines, while using cargo bikes means less truck-related congestion. Battery-electric vehicles are good news for drivers, too, who are no longer exposed to engine vibrations in the cab.

Part of the long-term climate protection strategy

First rolled out for the city of Stuttgart, DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery was developed in collaboration with the Kornwestheim branch. In December 2018, Dachser won an award for sustainable urban logistics from the German Ministry for the Environment and the German Environment Agency.

Thanks to its modular system, the concept is fundamentally suited to all European cities. This means Dachser is well-prepared for any bans on combustion engines that major cities already have in place or are planning. DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery is part of the Kempten-based company’s overall long-term climate protection strategy. Promoting sustainable business development and focusing on efficiency, innovation, and inclusive responsibility, the family-owned company in southern Germany’s Allgäu region is paving the way for sustainable logistics together with its customers and partners.