The e-trike at the service of urban logistics

Urban logistics, cyclo logistics: what exactly are we talking about?

For several years, with the strong development of urbanization and the growing concern for environmental impact, the challenges of urban logistics have become a real concern for businesses and individuals, but also for all actors related to logistics (economic, social, institutional, etc.), especially with regard to last-mile delivery.

But what does this concept of “urban logistics” really cover?

Beyond the simple transport of goods, urban logistics represents the way in which we approach the management of flows in urban areas.

In other words, urban logistics encompasses all the challenges and opportunities related to the movement of goods, people, information... and much more.

Choosing cyclo-logistics in the face of the challenges of urban logistics:

VUF XXL tricycle

Today, cyclo-logistics is emerging as a ingenious solution, but also environmentally friendly facing the issues and challenges associated with urban logistics.

In order to meet these challenges, since 2014, at VUF Bikes, we have been producing and developing cargo and tricycle bikes that meet the problems of urban professionals.

Indeed, the use of cargo bikes and tricycle bikes helps to decongesting the roads in urban environment while reducing noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, thus contributing to cleaner and more urban areas pleasant to live.

Beyond the positive effects generated by cyclo-logistics, the use of VUF Bikes cargo bikes and tricycle bikes has a lot of advantages for the company. Indeed, using cargo bikes in urban areas is synonymous of agility, of efficiency and Of economy, making it an increasingly attractive choice for businesses looking to optimize their operations in an urban context requiring.

Today, cyclo-logistics embodies the perfect fusion between the needs of modern logistics and the imperatives of sustainability, making cyclo-logistics a essential response to the challenges of urban logistics.

Problems related to urban logistics

One of the major challenges of urban logistics lies in traffic congestion, which often leads to delays and additional costs. As a reminder, over the entire logistics cycle, last-mile delivery represents a major cost.

Finally, there are environmental issues related to the emission of greenhouse gases, but also social issues, linked to numerous urban actors: inhabitants, delivery workers, road users...

1. Economic issues

As said before, in the supply chain, the costs associated with last-mile delivery are very high. This is mainly due to the fact that last-mile delivery is more difficult to organize because of the multitude of delivery points And various constraints linked to the urban environment.

Very concretely, we are talking here about difficulties of urban integration (and accessibility problems), traffic congestion, parking constraints or even own regulations unto each city such as the ZFE. These constraints create additional costs, which forces actors to review their distribution model.

Finally, delivery times directly influence consumers in choosing a delivery provider. This variable, which is sometimes complicated for professionals to maintain, is a very important problem to take into account.

It should also be noted that from a perspective employability, urban logistics encompasses a multitude of economic actors (deliverers, support functions, techniques...) and therefore represents a large part of jobs today.

2. Social issues

Social issues related to urban logistics are also very important for professionals to take into account. Indeed, urban logistics directly impacts city residents, workers, and more generally the society as a whole.

Among the main social problems, we can mention some major ones.

First of all, the quality of life of city residents is directly impacted by logistics. We identify several negative externalities : noise pollution related to vehicles, road traffic congestion, excessive use of roads, pollution generated. These various elements have a direct impact on the quality of life and health of city residents, since they can generate both stress and health problems.

Second, the issues of arrangements And of stationing in urban areas can impact numerous actors present in urban areas : residents, local businesses, consumers, associations or even sustainable mobility actors (electric bikes, electric scooters, electric scooters...)

Finally, the working conditions of delivery workers and other economic actors are also questions that companies must ask themselves, in several respects: irregular hours, workload, precariousness of employment...

Good management of these issues is Essential to ensure that urban logistics is both sustainable and beneficial for the whole of society.

3. Environmental issues

Finally, among the major problems in logistics, we find issues Linked unto The environment.

Of course, greenhouse gas emissions represent a major environmental problem for the various actors. Unsurprisingly, delivery vehicles used in urban logistics are very often thermal and emit qsignificant quantities of CO2.

For information, urban logistics represents 20% of urban traffic and is at the origin from 25% to 30% of CO2 emissions. These emissions have the consequence of degrading air quality, in particular with the emission of fine particles and other pollutants that have harmful effects on human health, in particular on the respiratory and cardiovascular levels.

Beyond greenhouse gas emissions, many underlying issues exist. For example, the energy management : in fact, the energy needs associated with the management of delivery vehicle fleets must be taken into account by companies. These may be energy needs aimed at Feeding warehouses, to stoke The vehicles, or at theirs upkeep. To this, we can add the management of additional waste that can be generated by urban logistics.

Finally, it seems important to us to mention the new regulations and local policies. These can have a significant impact on urban logistics. Policies that promote sustainability can encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly practices by supporting the creation of fleets of green vehicles such as electric scooters with purchase aids. It is therefore important to take them into account.

Businesses need to invest in environmentally friendly vehicles and practices.

4. What solutions to improve urban logistics:

Solutions for improving the logistics Urban are multiple, but in practice, are not always easy to implement. The idea is always the same: facilitate and streamline urban traffic, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

First of all, on environmental issues, it would be interesting to use “cleaner” modes of transport. For example, with the adoption of electric, hydrogen or low-emission vehicles.

With regard to traffic congestion problems, several solutions are possible, namely:

• The establishment of multimodal transport: encouraging the use of different modes of transport can both reduce congestion problems but also CO2 emissions.
• The use of storage space on the outskirts of cities: to facilitate the reception of incoming/outgoing goods and their delivery.

At VUF Bikes, we offer cyclo-logistics solutions through cargo bikes and tricycle bikes in order to respond to urban logistics problems. We devote all our energy to developing the ideal cargo bike that is ergonomic, robust and suitable for all types of use.

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