Real world transport trials to help parcel deliveries go green
Friday 11 April 2025
Real world transport trials to help parcel deliveries go green
WMG was pleased to welcome Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, and representatives from the Department of Transport and the logistics industry, on to campus to hear more about its Last Mile Logistics Project.
The Last Mile Logistics Project is a partnership between WMG and Transport for West MidlandsLink opens in a new window (TfWM), and is funded by the West Midlands Innovation AcceleratorLink opens in a new window.
As part of the project, the University of Warwick campus is being used as a testbed for a small fleet of low-speed electric delivery vehicles to demonstrate how they can help the UK reach Net Zero, while cutting congestion and improving air quality.
Researchers, led by WMG’s Principal Engineer for Micromobility Mark UrbanowskiLink opens in a new window, will now be working with the Department for Transport to see how the data and learnings from the trials can help understand the barriers to making the vehicles legal to use on UK roads and cycle lanes.
Mark Urbanowski, explained: “We couldn’t run these trials without Innovation Accelerator funding. These vehicles aren’t legal on UK roads yet, so they’re not available to buy. The funding allowed us to adapt a cargo bike with throttle control and bring in proven models from the Netherlands, to be tested by the University’s delivery, waste, and maintenance teams.
“It’s going to take a shift in behaviour and more regulatory and legislative work to get these low-speed vehicles into use. But, there’s a real potential to lower emissions, improve air quality and reduce congestion in our communities. Economically, tens of thousands could be rolled out, all designed, engineered, and built in the UK with a full supply chain behind them.”
Find out more about micromobility research at WMG here:WMG News - Latest news from WMGLink opens in a new window