Efficiency in the Last Mile of Autonomous Ground Vehicles with Lockers: From Conventional to Renewable Energy Transport

Abstract

This research aims to compare autonomous ground vehicles with conventional and electric vans on the basis of associated vehicle costs and benefits related to their use, taking into account economic feasibility. Cost per vehicle kilometre is derived using the total cost of ownership method adjusted with the inclusion of labour costs and the impact of solar panel application on fuel efficiency while travel time-related and capacity occupations and reliability benefits serve as a basis for the total possible number of parcels delivered. The results show that, under the current structural and infrastructural conditions of urban delivery, the experimental model can be potentially successful in terms of cost per kilometre (0.133/km) but not as effective in terms of the total possible number of parcels delivered. This study defines autonomous ground vehicles with lockers as an innovative last mile solution and contributes to the academic literature by investigating the concept’s efficiency competitiveness.

Performance Analysis of Automated Parcel Lockers in Urban Delivery: Combined Agent-Based–Monte Carlo Simulation Approach

“…Cieśla [35] finds that dedicated application, adjusting the size of the package to the size of the box, improvements for people with disabilities or special needs, security of the parcel, and parking next to automated parcel lockers are among the most required attributes of the parcel locker systems. Studies have been dedicated to parcel lockers' network design for optimizing the routing process by transport companies [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] and reducing externalities both for companies and customers [46,47]. The modularization of the locker points, using locker towers, π-containers, and smart mobile lockers [48,49], provides adaptability in demand fluctuations.…”