The last-mile logistic industry is a lifeline of the urban economy and has a value of over $1 trillion. It’s expected to grow at 10% annually. The demand to maintain large delivery fleets poses a unique challenge to most businesses and to the environment. Regulators are already pressurizing delivery companies operating in urban areas to switch to EVs.
In the wake of the increasing environmental concern around the last-mile delivery industry, UK tech company Port has partnered with parking provider Q-Park to offer a unique solution – the world’s first EV for last-mile couriers.
The Dark Hub
The world’s first EV for last-mile couriers is called the Dark Hub designed for fleets of advanced EVs parked in dedicated docking stations at London’s Leicester Square off-street parking site. The docking stations charge these fleets, allowing the city’s last-mile delivery companies to switch to greener transport and reduce carbon emissions.
Port created the Dark Hub after a two-year-long R&D process. They created the entire platform from scratch, including the proprietary software and hardware. They also patented the world’s first universal docking station that charges any small EV.
Mobility-as-a-service
The Dark Hub is a brand-new concept that provides EV docking to couriers and delivery companies to hire electric bikes, cargo bikes, scooters, and mopeds from the car park. They can rent EVs using the Port app for a week or a month. Port, with its platform, frees courier companies from the burdens of investing in e-bikes, charging stations, and maintenance.
Couriers can pick EVs from the mobility hub whenever they like, but must return them at the end of their working day. The fleet contains best-in-class EVs for long-range travel, packed with durable batteries that last an entire day’s work, and ideal for delivering parcels in crowded cities like London. Also Read: The Future of the Electric Vehicle
A future-proof business model
The urban population is accustomed to convenience fueling the rapid growth of the delivery industry. To meet the rising demand, courier companies must invest in more fleets. However, enterprises are already under pressure to shift to greener transport. And Port provides the perfect opportunity for industry players to move to EVs.
With the Dark Hub, Port also aims to tackle courier shortages and shorten delivery circles per executive. Port plans to bring more drivers into the industry so the industry can keep up with the demand. Also, Port’s strategy is to open more hubs in city centers so drivers can easily travel to distant parts of the city.
Port is already convinced of the effectiveness of its mobility-hub model and plans to expand across Europe. Port has conducted successful trials in Madrid and aims to enter Barcelona next.