Last week, DPD and EAV shared the news about the development of the e-cargo at the eBike Summit in Oxford. DPD and EAV are currently testing three bikes and the first production models will be available in June. DPD will trial the bikes from its all-electric parcel depot which opened in London in October last year.

The most responsible delivery company

According to DPD CEO Dwain McDonald, this new development is a continuation of its push for sustainable operations. DPD aims to be the most responsible city centre delivery company. They wish to become so by neutralising their carbon footprint and developing smarter, cleaner and more sustainable parcel delivery services. "The bike is perfect for UK city centres and we are really looking forward to adding it to our rapidly expanding zero-emission fleet in July," McDonald says.

Specifications

The e-cargo bikes will be  1 metre wide by 2 metres long and weighs just 75kg. It has a 250-watt motor. The bikes are meant to become the “sprinter van” of the e-cargo bike world and have indicators and other motor vehicle accoutrements but it can legally travel on cycleways. The vehicle’s fascia consists of a composite strengthened with hemp fibres stuck together with a resin based on the oil from cashew nut shells. Adam Barmby, technical director of EAV, said: "The chassis design is modular, so we can extend, widen, or shorten it for multiple applications. Full weather protection is also in development for year-round use in almost any climate or city location worldwide.”

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Last-mile service providers DPD and Hermes think about increasing prices for parcel home delivery at the front door. The delivery that we know as 'standard delivery' could become a premium service.

If you order a package in Germany, you may have to pay more in the long term. DPD and Hermes parcel services always expect a surcharge. They now expect the home delivery industry to be so developed that home delivery can be a more expensive, premium service.

A spokeswoman for Hermes says to heise.de: "We need to find out to what extent home delivery as a standard service, without extra costs, remains possible." She referred to countries such as Sweden, where home delivery already entails extra costs. If the course of the company, in regard to the handling of the last mile, would change, expenses will rise and the process would be time-consuming.

GLS, a subsidiary of the British Royal Mail, already introduced such surcharges for specific business customers for the Christmas business. GLS imposed surcharges to organisations on whose behalf the company sends packages. It is unclear if these companies pass on the higher door-to-door price.

No surcharges planned with DHL

Market leader Deutsche Post DHL does not plan any surcharges for home delivery. Hermes and DPD also stress that they have no concrete plans, including implementation, anytime soon. Nevertheless, the fundamental considerations and the step of GLS clarify that movement is in the price structure of the parcel market. In Germany, there are many parcel shops, but these are not used much.

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Delivery company DPD is expanding its logistic services with ParcelLetter service. With this new service, it will be able to deliver small packages, letters and other shipped materials into the mailbox, states Dutch logistic news site logisitiek.nl.

Deliveries in the new service do not, like other DPD-delivery services, require an autograph. Consumers can benefit from the DPD track-and-trace system to follow their sending via the standard Predict service DPD offers. With this service, DPD aims at sendings that do not necessarily require a deliverer to ring at the receiver's door. Eric Dietz, CEO at DPD Netherlands, states: "ParcelLetter is an expansion of our service. With current growth rates in e-commerce, our customers felt the need for a service that delivers small packages for a good price rate to their customers. ParcelLetter is our answer for this." The service aims, for this moment, on the small business and consumer market.

For now, ParcelLetter will be a pilot in the Netherlands. In short notice, DPD will offer the service to other European countries as well.

You can find ParcelLetter on shipping platform www.pakkettenversturen.nl

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