by Walther Ploos van Amstel
The transition to electric urban freight vehicles is often presented as a straightforward vehicle-replacement exercise: replace diesel vans and trucks with electric ones, and emissions disappear. In reality, the challenge is much broader. Vehicle range, charging time, route planning, grid capacity, and charging infrastructure all become critical operational variables. A recent Italian study examines one …
Cities across Europe are investing heavily in circular economy initiatives, yet one critical challenge remains unresolved: how to get products back. While enormous attention is devoted to recycling technologies, material recovery, and reverse supply chains, the weakest link is often the very first step of the process: collection. A recent guide from the INCREACE project …
A new European Commission study maps out why small electronics rarely make it back into the circular economy — and what cities and policymakers can do about it. Every year, millions of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and their chargers reach the end of their useful life in European households. Yet instead of being returned, repaired, or …
Amsterdam and Berlin are among the European frontrunners in efficient urban logistics. This is shown by the European Freight Efficiency Index from Geotab, which is based on connected-vehicle data from seven European capital cities. Amsterdam scores 59 out of 100 points, finishing just behind Berlin (61). London (29) and Madrid (25) bring up the rear. …
A new study compares how five global cities handle e-commerce deliveries — and finds that context is everything. City logistics keeps growing, and with it, the pressure on urban streets. More parcels, more vans, more congestion, and more urgency for cities to find smarter solutions. But which solutions actually work? A new study published in …
From 29 April 2026, Boon’s Dagmarkt in the heart of Utrecht will be supplied by an electric boat. No more delivery trucks through the city center, no emissions, no vibrations beneath the historic vaulted cellars. Just goods delivered by water, as Utrecht did for centuries, but now emission-free. It sounds almost obvious. Yet this is …
If you’ve ever sat through a transport planning meeting, you’ll recognize the pattern. Slides on walking, cycling, public transit, maybe some discussion of electric vehicles, and then, right at the end, almost apologetically: “…and freight.” Dr Daniela Paddeu has spent her career pushing back against exactly that dynamic. As Associate Professor of Sustainable Freight Futures …
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, …
Last-mile delivery is a critical component of the logistics and supply chain industry, especially in densely populated urban areas like Mumbai. This study aims to analyze the key challenges affecting last-mile delivery efficiency and evaluate the role of technology and operational strategies in improving performance. Recent research was based on primary data collected through a structured survey of delivery personnel and consumers in Mumbai. Key factors such …
Urban logistics is in crisis. As city populations grow and e-commerce expands, the volume of goods moving through urban areas has risen sharply, leading to congestion, pollution, escalating delivery costs, and a diminished quality of life for residents. Logistics service providers (LSPs) are under mounting pressure to deliver goods faster and more cheaply, while municipalities …