Hermes Creates Blueprint for Sustainable City Logistics

Whether to the front door or to the parcel shop – Hermes Germany now delivers emissions-free to more than 300,000 Berlin residents in Schöneberg, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg, Tiergarten, Mitte, and the government district. The more than 2.5 million shipments per year are delivered by e-transporters* or cargo bikes. The 79 parcel shops in the corresponding districts are also part of ‘Green Delivery Berlin’ and are served CO2-free.

(Hamburg/Berlin) Overall, the savings from the widespread use of sustainable vehicles amount to 220 tons of CO₂ per year. The sustainability concept serves as a blueprint for other German city centers – such as Leipzig, Dresden, and Erfurt – which will also be delivered emissions-free in the near future. The concept in Berlin thus marks the beginning of green city logistics.

“The Berlin city center is now by far the largest contiguous area that Hermes delivers emissions-free,” explains Marco Schlüter, Chief Operations Officer at Hermes Germany. “For the first time, the interplay of e-mobility, charging infrastructure, and hybrid-used microhubs works so well that we can deliver the city center emissions-free across the board.”

Emissions-free across 40 square kilometers

The emissions-free area extends over the city districts of Schöneberg, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg, Tiergarten, Mitte, and the government district. Daily, 28 cargo bikes and 14 e-transporters are in operation. Starting from three centrally located microhubs powered by green electricity, the vehicles set out emissions-free. These small depots are used in cooperation with other companies.

“Numerous pilot projects with cargo bikes, microhubs, and e-vehicles, along with close collaboration with manufacturers in recent years, have provided us with valuable insights that we are now bringing together,” says Marco Schlüter. “The widespread emissions-free delivery is no longer a pilot. Large parts of the Berlin city center are now a CO₂-free zone for Hermes.” Overall, the concept saves 220 tons of CO₂ per year.

“The Otto Group has long pursued a sustainable CR strategy – we have already been able to reduce our CO₂ emissions by 56 percent from 2006 to 2020. Our goal now is to be climate-neutral as a whole group by 2030,” says Kay Schiebur, Executive Board Member Services of the Otto Group. “Hermes Germany contributes significantly to this, investing heavily in emissions-free delivery in Germany. Our customers now have the opportunity to actively participate in climate protection by choosing a logistics partner that aligns with climate-neutral shipping.”

Blueprint for Other Cities

“Berlin is just the beginning,” Marco Schlüter looks to the future. “As a parcel service provider, we are addressing the current challenges of city logistics in Germany with approaches like these while also contributing to more livable city centers. The widespread emissions-free delivery in the Berlin city center should serve as a blueprint for other city centers – such as those in Dresden, Leipzig, and Erfurt – to follow this model in the near future.”

“Fortunately, the awareness of the urgency for extensive climate action is increasingly gaining traction in society. Customers are increasingly basing their purchasing decisions on sustainable criteria,” adds Kay Schiebur.

Sustainable Solution for the Last Mile with Competent Partners

The last mile is a highly complex field, and many factors must be considered when setting up a completely emissions-free delivery: In addition to suitable vehicles, a comprehensive charging infrastructure and, above all, central microhubs – small shipment transshipment points – are needed, which are particularly rare and expensive in city center locations. “We use three centrally located microhubs in Berlin, allowing us to start directly in the delivery area with our cargo bikes,” shares Pouyan Anvari, Area Manager Berlin at Hermes Germany, providing insights into the micro-depot concept. On the road, cargo bike riders can conveniently swap batteries. “We have a partnership with Swobbee, an expert in battery exchange stations. This way, our delivery personnel can always rely on fresh batteries without any hassle.”

The cargo bikes are an important part of the mobility strategy in the center of Berlin. Due to the low traffic speed and streets that are sometimes closed to transporters, the cargo bikes are even more efficient in these areas than conventional transporters. “Especially in the area of cargo bikes, we have tested a lot and, for example, accompanied the Berlin manufacturer ONO on the way to market readiness. Of course, we also benefit from this close collaboration, as the ONO cargo bikes now make up a large part of our cargo bike fleet in Berlin,” adds Pouyan Anvari. The cargo bikes cover a route length of six to eight kilometers each and transport around 120 to 130 shipments daily. Thanks to the central microhubs and the associated short access routes, recharging is also possible.

But other companies like PIN AG are also important cooperation partners in Berlin. “Together, we create many synergy effects here, such as combined delivery. But also in expanding our concept, the shared use of microhubs with PIN AG will play an important role,” Pouyan Anvari elaborates on the collaboration.

^{*The collaboration between Daimler and Hermes receives significant support from ZUKUNFT.DE (‘Customer-friendly, sustainable, flexible, and transparent delivery traffic. Through emissions-free delivery’), a project implemented under the leadership of Hamburg (Project Management hySOLUTIONS) across the three federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg, and Hesse to electrify parcel delivery on the so-called ‘last mile.’ This project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The implementation of the underlying funding guidelines is coordinated by NOW National Organization Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.}

Photo: © Hermes / Caption: from l.: Harald Schnetgoecke (General Area Manager, Hermes Germany), Marco Schlüter (Chief Operations Officer, Hermes Germany), and Pouyan Anvari (Area Manager Berlin, Hermes Germany) at the launch of ‘Green Delivery Berlin’ at the EUREF Campus