Electric Delivery Vehicle Routing

Optimizing Electric Vehicle Delivery Operations

In the short- to medium-term at least, electric delivery vehicles are likely to have a shorter range than conventionally propelled vehicles, which means that logistics operators have to be cleverer about electric vehicle routing.

As the choice of delivery vehicle types increases (hybrid, electric, fuel cell, cargo-bikes, perhaps even drones at some point), the requirements on the optimization engine will continue to increase in terms of complexity.

MJC²'s flexible logistics scheduling algorithms can take these rules and constraints into consideration when allocating work and routes to electric vehicles.

For example, range by vehicle type and cargo load, ultra low emission zones (ULEZs), charging locations/capacity and other factors can be modelled to ensure that the vehicle schedule is operationally achievable.

Urban Hubs and Micro-hubs

Electric vehicles are well-suited to the last-mile leg of the journey in a city, where the distance travelled is not large, and the vehicle spends a high proportion of its time stationary.

However, the goods still need to be brought into the city, coming from locations which are likely to be outside the range of the vehicle.

This requires optimization of the hub location, size and fleet, as well as operational synchronisation of the inbound/outbound trunking operation. MJC²'s multimodal scheduling systems provide an integrated planning solution for the end-to-end logistics operation.

Load Optimization

For delivery operations covering a slightly larger territory within an urban area, the vehicle's range can become a factor.

In particular, the load carried can affect the range significantly - a heavy load drains the battery much faster than if the vehicle is running empty. Similarly, temperature-controlled compartments use additional energy, reducing the effective range, and seasonal factors may add extra complexity.

MJC²'s load optimization algorithms can model complex rules relating to compartments, cargo compatibility and loading sequence, maximising vehicle fill while allowing for business and operational constraints.