Micromobility vehicles have the potential to transform urban freight delivery. E-bikes and e-trikes are part of the e-cargo landscape. This research addresses alternative vehicle use for last-mile freight by LEVER researchers Cherry, Azad, Rose, and Autry (UTK) and MacArthur (PSU) with industry partner B-Line in Portland. To overcome the limitation in data availability GPS data were collected during October and November 2017. We constructed two simulations to evaluate the costs of the system and estimate the costs if the company utilized vans (all or a mixed fleet) for deliveries for the same e-bike delivery company and a test case in Nashville. Overall, the associated total costs of an LEV-based delivery system are not dramatically higher than traditional systems. Availability of bike infrastructure, location of distributing center, and density of delivery area are important factors that contribute in the competitiveness of an LEV delivery company. This work was funded by Tennessee DOT.
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