Electric cargo bike market hits growth milestone
A new market analysis published on 23 April reports that the global electric cargo bike market, valued at USD 4.8 billion in 2025, is projected to reach USD 18 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 14.2%. Analysts note that for logistics providers and urban mobility planners, electric cargo bikes are no longer niche alternatives but are becoming critical enablers of cost-efficient and sustainable last-mile delivery.
New York City: last-mile delivery legislation under debate
New York City Council is considering Intro 0518-2026, a bill that would restructure how last-mile delivery businesses operate, including the relationships between large delivery companies and independent, locally owned operators. Proponents point to an 18-month Boston pilot using electric cargo bikes that logged nearly 6,000 miles and cut an estimated 2,300 kg of carbon emissions compared to conventional vehicles. City Limits
UPS implements surge emergency fee
UPS implemented a Surge Emergency Fee effective 19 April 2026, affecting a wide range of U.S. import and export services. Most international shipments are now subject to a $0.23-per-pound charge, while shipments from China and Hong Kong are subject to a higher rate of $0.32 per pound. The move reflects a broader industry trend in which parcel cost pressures are increasingly being passed through as variable fees rather than base rate adjustments. Logistics Viewpoints
Microhub consolidation logistics market forecast
The global on-demand microhub urban consolidation logistics market is valued at USD 4.8 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach USD 22.9 billion by 2036, growing at a CAGR of 17.1%. The acceleration reflects mounting urban congestion, stricter emissions mandates, and rising inefficiencies in last-mile delivery across high-density cities. OpenPR
AI-driven urban freight routing published in Scientific Reports
A study published on 10 April in Scientific Reports proposes a constraint-aware reinforcement learning framework (CAPPL-RL) to optimize urban freight routes under real-world constraints, including congestion, delivery time windows, and vehicle capacity. Simulation results show the framework reduced average delivery time by 20%, fuel consumption by 22.5%, and time-window violations by 75% compared to existing methods. Nature
London’s Urban Microhub Alliance launches
London’s Urban Microhub Alliance has launched with the aim of transforming last-mile delivery in the city — signaling that the microhub model is moving from pilot to coordinated city strategy in one of Europe’s busiest logistics markets. Citylogistics
Norwegian research: why sustainable urban logistics stalls
A new study from the Norwegian Center for Transport Research argues that municipal staff face “cognitive misalignment” — a mismatch between what their jobs demand and what their work systems support. City officials are expected to anticipate carrier responses to access regulations and coordinate delivery policies across departments, but are doing so with limited data, siloed responsibilities, and blunt regulatory tools. Citylogistics