Zalando is using electric vehicles to deliver packages for its premium membership service.
A three-month pilot in the German city of Hamburg will see electric vehicles delivering hundreds of packages per day to customers of the Zalando Plus loyalty programme.
The 24 vehicles, which feature Zalando’s branding, are supplied by Mercedes, Nissan, Renault and ARI.
Drivers will be provided by third party logistics companies, while Zalando will plan and provide the charging infrastructure.
Hamburg has been chosen for its high availability of electric vehicle infrastructure; the city has over 600 charging stations in the area.
Christian Scheffler, director Zalando Premium Logistics, said: “Zalando is working on developing sustainable solutions for logistics.
“The new pilot in Hamburg is another important step along this path and we are delighted to be able to offer customers in Hamburg climate-friendly services.”
Some fast fashion retailers are embracing electric vehicles as they come under fire for their contribution to carbon emissions. In a 2018 report, Zalando itself identified that 60% of its CO2 emissions come from outbound logistics.
ASOS recently included a provision in its new contract with DPD requiring electric vehicles to be used. As well as the continuation of existing services, the contract requires 50% of deliveries within the London Ultra Low Emission Zone to be served by electric delivery vehicles only. ASOS also works with Gnewt Cargo on electric deliveries in London.
