Parcel delivery company DPD plans to launch autonomous robot deliveries in Lincoln as part of a nationwide trial that could see up to 30 UK depots operating robots in their locality.
DPD first introduced robots in Milton Keynes in July 2022, and they are now also out delivering parcels to DPD customers in Raunds and Bristol, with more locations to follow this year.
Now from DPD’s Lincoln depot at St Modwens Park, the zero-emission robots will deliver to the nearby village of Witham St Hughs, via the existing network of footpaths.
Tim Jones, director of marketing, communications & sustainability DPDgroup UK, commented: “The robots have been a huge success for us. They have exceeded our expectations in terms of their effectiveness and the feedback from parcel recipients has been fantastic.
“As result, I’m confident that residents will welcome them. The robots have proven themselves in a range of different locations, and having started out as a trial, we have now identified up to 30 depots where they could operate very successfully.”
The robots, which have a battery life of up to 12 hours and can deliver within a mile radius of the depot, operate autonomously once they have completed the mapping process, during which the robot is fully supervised and controlled by remote control.
DPD parcel recipients in Witham St Hughs will receive an SMS when the robot is outside their property and can then use a secure one-time pin code to open the robot and access their parcel. Once the compartment is closed, the robot will either continue to its next delivery or return to the depot. The robots can complete up to 30 deliveries a day.
“As a company we are committed to investing in innovation, learning and challenging ourselves to find new ways to improve our operation and become more sustainable,” added Jones.
“Our journey to Net Zero is largely dependent on employing ever smarter technologies and, while the robots are one small part of that, they are a great example of integrating autonomous technology into our operation.”
DPD UK recently issued a sustainability update confirming that the company is on target to deliver a 46% reduction in emissions by the end of 2024, from the 2020 baseline.
As part of Geopost, DPD UK has a Net Zero target of 2040, which is fully validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). DPD UK has confirmed that the UK operation is on track with the trajectory required to meet the group target, with a third of its fleet now electric.
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