Making informed choice of delivery fleet in local logistics
Kaitala, Markus (2020)
Kaitala, Markus
2020
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020121327908
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020121327908
Tiivistelmä
The world is changing. The environmental options of vehicles are becoming more and more popular, but how does this affect to the world of logistics and local deliveries? As vehicles are a major asset to a logistics company it is vital to know if the new alternatives are a better investment than the traditional options.
The aim of this study is to find out if battery electric vehicles (BEV) would be commercially viable option in Finnish local delivery setting, when compared to diesel vehicles (DV). To achieve the study objectives, quantitative data was collected in form of reports on taxes and incentives as well as technical data of the mentioned vehicle groups from manufacturers’ websites. Also, five interviews were conducted to gather qualitative primary data. The interviewees were selected to represent different expert profiles relevant to the study.
The research used method triangulation by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. After analyzing these two different sets of data, conclusions and answers could be derived from it. The results showed that in their current state BEVs are not a commercially viable option in a Finnish local delivery environment. The main reasons include the poor capabilities of the vehicles, when compared to a traditional DV, and the weak or even lacking infrastructure needed to operate and charge the BEVs. Currently the BEV infrastructure is not competitive when compared to the existing infrastructure supporting DVs.
The research revealed some indications of reasons to opt for BEVs in local deliveries, mostly focusing on marketing and PR side of the company and not in the operational side.
This study can serve as a model for future studies on the subject even tough technical and commercial parameters change.
The aim of this study is to find out if battery electric vehicles (BEV) would be commercially viable option in Finnish local delivery setting, when compared to diesel vehicles (DV). To achieve the study objectives, quantitative data was collected in form of reports on taxes and incentives as well as technical data of the mentioned vehicle groups from manufacturers’ websites. Also, five interviews were conducted to gather qualitative primary data. The interviewees were selected to represent different expert profiles relevant to the study.
The research used method triangulation by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. After analyzing these two different sets of data, conclusions and answers could be derived from it. The results showed that in their current state BEVs are not a commercially viable option in a Finnish local delivery environment. The main reasons include the poor capabilities of the vehicles, when compared to a traditional DV, and the weak or even lacking infrastructure needed to operate and charge the BEVs. Currently the BEV infrastructure is not competitive when compared to the existing infrastructure supporting DVs.
The research revealed some indications of reasons to opt for BEVs in local deliveries, mostly focusing on marketing and PR side of the company and not in the operational side.
This study can serve as a model for future studies on the subject even tough technical and commercial parameters change.