DHL, the worlds leading international delivery services provider, is transforming its approach to delivery services by piloting a kinetic energy based cargo bicycle program for inner-city deliveries in the UAE.
The DHL ‘cubicycle’ is a customised four-wheel bike that is designed and able to carry containers with a load of 125kg. The innovative bike aims to reduce emissions by minimising the mileage and time spent on the road by standard delivery vehicles.
The cubicycle will play a tremendous role in easing through traffic congestion in the UAE and increase the number of stops in comparison to the van.
Geoff Walsh, country manager, DHL in the UAE, said: DHL Express has already replaced up to 60 per cent of inner-city vehicles with cubicycles in some European countries and we are proud to launch and carry forward the same initiative and program in the UAE. We are confident that this new and advanced method of delivery will not only help reduce emissions and improve carbon efficiency, but also increase productivity and efficiency as cubicycles provide a faster way of delivery, especially within the more congested inner roads in the city.
Read our exclusive interview with Geoff Walsh.
The DHL cubicycle is a part of the overall DHL global environmental protection program GoGreen that aims to minimise the impact of business on environment, with a focus on optimising carbon efficiency across all operations. It was developed in the Netherlands and was introduced to the DHL network in 2015.
The bike comes equipped with a number of features that make it ideal for express delivery operations, including a reclining seat for the courier, which allows greater comfort, safety and speed. The cubicycle is also fitted with electric pedal assistance for additional speed and support, making it easy to manoeuvre.
The removable containers on the bike are secure, waterproof, spacious and do not impair the view of other cyclists. They can be equipped with GPS or Internet of Things (IoT) transmitters to facilitate real-time shipment tracking.
DHL Express has introduced cubicycles in more than 80 European cities and 14 cubicycles in seven cities around the world. Cubicycle couriers cover on average 50km per day. DHL globally has set itself a target to improve its carbon efficiency by 30% by 2020. To date, the group has improved its carbon efficiency by 23%.