MEWA goes the extra mile for sustainability with electric cargo bike

Berlin laundry MEWA has tested the delivery of its work clothing to its customers in Berlin with electric cargo bikes. Acccording to the company, the experiment showed, that going electric on the last delivery mile saves up to 60% of CO2 emissions compared to pure truck delivery.

The work clothing is taken from the company’s laundry in Groß Kienitz and delivered to a collection point in the centre of Berlin – at a distance of approx. 30 kilometres. From there, electrically powered cargo bikes complete the journey ahead to the customer. The project has been running since the summer of last year and brings the company a step closer to its goal of completely climate-neutral distribution.

Kay Simon, the company’s head of mobility concepts stated that the new pickup and delivery service has proven very successful and that customers love it. The e-cargo bike is stated to have the flexibility of a bicycle with the capacity and durability of a delivery van – ideal for urban areas. According to Simon, it usually is the last mile to the customer that causes the most environmental and logistical problems in busy city centres. Especially where it is difficult for truck drivers to find a place to unload or where there is no direct access.