Volvo is starting a project in which industry, academia and society will jointly develop and test systems in Gothenburg to reduce the number of goods transports to the inner-city area by 40%.
The background for the project is a study which revealed a large proportion of trucks delivering goods to the heart of the city do not carry a full cargo and that around 90% of lorry traffic handled just one-third of the goods entering the downtown area.
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Together with the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, the Gothenburg Urban Transport Administration, Nordstans Samfällighet, GLC, Best Transport, DHL, Velove, Pling Transport and the Swedish Transport Administration, Volvo Group will lead the three-year research project to develop and implement a digital service to solve the problem.
“We all acknowledge the great challenges we face,” said Volvo Group Connected Solutions Innovation Lab manager, Cecilia Haraldsson. “Everyone sees the need to do something different in order to change urban logistics.”
The research project partners are now taking on the challenge by developing a solution to improve both the environment and traffic flows in metropolitan areas. The physical structure includes multi-modal transportation using long/regional haulage to urban consolidation centres, feeding consolidated goods to a city hub using electric trucks with increased fill rates and last mile delivery from the city hub using electric micro vans and cargo bikes.
“We have to coordinate the trucks to stop transporting air and with that contribute to a reduction of heavy traffic in the inner-city” added Nordstans Samfällighet Sustainiability manager, Magnus Zingmark.
“What is unique with this service is that we will create a system with a dynamic decision-making algoritm for consolidation and re-loading in hubs based on a complex amount of data”
A system-of-systems for urban transports is a complex issue and involves many players and many different operations not designed to interact with one another.
“What is unique with this service is we will create a system with a decision-making algoritm for consolidation and re-loading in hubs based on a complex amount of data,” said Haraldsson. “This is a whole new way of thinking and working in this industry and it will not happen by itself.”
The project partners want to improve the city’s accessibility. More efficient transports bring lower environmental impact and fewer traffic jams. In addition, logistics costs will be reduced and deliveries to city centres will be more secure.
Through coordination, lorries will be more fully loaded. A preliminary study indicates the number of transports to the city centre could be cut by at least 405, accompanied by a 75% reduction in fossil fuel vehicles for goods delivery in the inner city.
In order to test and demonstrate solutions, the project will establish a living lab where solutions will be gradually implemented and create an open platform for more innovation and start-ups.
“I hope this project will inspire more innovation and solutions we develop for downtown Gothenburg will be spread to other cities where connected technology can contribute to higher efficiency, lower environmental impact and increased traffic safety,” added Haraldsson.
