A Mercedes-Benz and Daimler service which allows customers to have in-car delivery of their parcels has expanded to Berlin.
Called chark, the service allows drivers of certain Mercedes-Benz models to have parcels delivered to the boot of their car.
Using the Mercedes me connect app, the customer provides the digital vehicle key of their parked car to a service provider and inputs the chark hub as the delivery address when placing the order. The user decides the time window and parking location in which the courier can open the vehicle.
Once the courier is within 500 metres of the parking location they can locate the vehicle by GPS and unlock it once. The customer receives a notification when the delivery is underway and a report with photos when it is finished.
The service has already been successfully piloted in Stuttgart, with Daimler reporting positive feedback and more than 1000 parcels delivered in the greater Stuttgart area to date. The new delivery area in Berlin extends from Reinickendorf over Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Köpenick to Pankow
Currently the service only supports ecommerce orders but in the future it aims to support grocery purchases, returns and laundry services.
Volkswagen is currently allowing Spanish customers to have parcels delivered to their cars through a similar service. Customers will be able to select the service from amongst other possibilities such as home delivery. They specify a time slot and the area the car will be parked in, authorising Volkswagen at the same time to remotely unlock the car’s boot.
