Goodbye to polluting, noisy delivery trucks in Danish cities

18. October 2021

Solution provider

The Danish Chamber of Commerce is the network for the service industry in Denmark. It is one of the largest professional business organisations in Denmark with more than 240 employees, offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus and in Brussels.

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Challenge

Transport is responsible for a relatively large share of Denmark’s overall CO2 emissions (approximately 20 per cent). One contributing factor behind this figure is Denmark’s 43,000 lorries, which run primarily on petrodiesel. Not only does this type of fuel pollute, but it also worsens air quality and the vehicles themselves are a noisy disturbance in densely populated urban areas when making their daily deliveries. The challenge is how to replace the delivery trucks with a cleaner, greener, quieter, but just as reliable, alternative. Customers expect to receive orders on time no matter what and a shift to more environmentally friendly delivery trucks often involves a change in routes and ensuring that the vehicle is adequately charged to be able to complete the route or can stop along the way to recharge. Accommodating these factors is no easy feat.

Solution

Switching to electric vehicles on delivery routes in cities is a low hanging fruit, as the technology has matured sufficiently so that they are capable of covering shorter distances. Therefore, Denmark’s largest distribution company is beginning the switch to electric vehicles, where the first fully electric, silent, emission-free delivery truck is now covering a busy delivery route with 40 stops each day in Odense.

Result

A busy city delivery route is now served by an emissions-free vehicle, and plans are underway to introduce them on routes in the Danish capital and Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus. Furthermore, it is expected that the company, Peder Olsen & Søn will be able to make all of its deliveries on the Danish Island of Funen using this method in 2022.

At the same time, the freight company is sending an important signal that it is playing its part in contributing to a greener future with cleaner air, reduced CO2 emissions and a more tranquil city environment.

If all of Denmark’s lorries were powered by electricity, Denmark’s share of emissions from the transport sector could be reduced considerably.

Contributors: Danske Fragtmænd (Danish Hauliers), Peder Olsen & Søn