Trump in town as TfL hosted the employer-operator's alternative vehicle fuel group freight forum LoCity on Wednesday 17th of September. The event was in-person at Palestra House in Southwark and what a good and enjoyable turnout.
GLA and TRL in the room amongst a string of top-level speakers. London Fire Brigade at table with EV fire engine news, DHL to Hive in a broad mix of operators from logistics to plant. Masterclass was multimodal from logistics on rail and river to change to microbility vehicle shift and L-Cat cargo bikes.
LoCity Chair Lomas with TfL Isaac Little and the keynote speakers, Thames Clipper and Varamis rail delivering collaboration with clean air.
The full house on Sept 17th marks the ten-year anniversary of the group, supported by employer-operators, with a vision for alternative fuel vehicles and clean air solutions for freight in London. Energetically chaired by Carl Lomas for the whole decade, Lomas cajoles and introduces those operators to present the change vision headlines at the opening of each meeting.
Carl Lomas, LoCity chair, spoke about the decade, goals and changes.
Ten years ago...
...the group placed charging infrastructure at the top of its ask and the business case was questioned for electric vehicles!
- A few years into the group vans charging infrastructure was streamed into two:
- Vans charged at depot and there was need for big copper in the ground.
- Vans charged at drivers home who often had no off street parking
- During the decade we have seen van grant, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion and the modern regulatory of green number plates
Change today
Lomas asked operators what their Change vision is today, options today are unbelievable to what we saw ten years go!
Change made the big headline. Change is no longer surprising.
Shift to microbility – L-cat vehicles and cargo bikes
Arrival of the Cargo bike to our roads in the last decade
Technology has become mainstream
Client demand for delivery has accelerated, adding the Covid accelerator.
Arrival of the Cargo bike to our roads in the decade
Collaboration more acceptable between brands
Business model change – EV affordability and the van grant success
Legislation change – 4.25t derogation for EV van weight etc
Land use, availability and planning. Space for logistics amongst the flat builds
Fuel change and arrival of alternative bio HVO and other fuels
Experimentation is building with next generation
Options becoming undeliverable to our view ten years ago.
A run of masterclass keynotes followed the energetic opening.
Thames Clippers – Covering River Freight
Keith Doe – ‘Zero Emission Express Cargo Boat to hit the Thames This Year.’
King Charles takes view of latest parcel boat vision.
40m long fully electric
Dartford to Tower 1 hour, no congestion, totally consistent delivery times to central London.
At LoCity, Keith outlined Thames Clippers on the river Thames and a substantial boat fleet including the DHL parcel delivery to Bankside.
Keith spoke innovation and a parcel project that is preparing the way to their new 100% electric express Cargo vessel to the Thames. The new 40m vessel, due to arrive in the second half of this year, 2025, the vessel will carry freight for multiple clients from DIFT, Dartford into the heart of London, (1 hour to Tower Bridge) for the onward journeys to be completed by EVs and cargo bikes. The vessel and charging infrastructure is part of Innovate UK’s match funding program in conjunction with DfT, and per trip the vessel has the potential to remove 20 x 7.5t trucks off London’s congested roads.
‘Freight in bulk from the East to London piers to cross dock onto cargo bikes for final mile London. There is significant storage and power options set for Central London location at the Thames side. Blackfriars and Battersea are key targets for pier transfers. Keith spoke about Orchard wharf, north side close to O2 as holding area for inbound freight.'
Keith spoke passionately about a recent visit by King Charles to the latest vessel and a review of the new boat that would be the parcel vessel.
Varamis Rail – Covering fully electric Rail Freight
Collaboration in logistics, delivering together, Phil at Varamis spoke roller cage options to cross dock and deliver at speed by passenger rail on trains without people. Birmingham to Scotland in four hours. Varamis working towards twelve trains, 12 truck roller cage sets each on rail, zero emission and no congestion to heart of cities.
Shared Infrastructure trail Phoebe Stockton GLA and Beth Morley CENEX
Partners requested for charging locations.
Beth Morley asking for partners to help share charging opportunities, ‘we have the resource to help pilots with insurance for joint use of site ect.’ CENEX long relationship with TfL LoCity. Working with C40 and GLA, Addressing London’s charging gap for High-Mileage vehicles. Beth Morley spoke enabling shared charging. We are looking for partners to provide shared charging. Maps in the mix detailing charge site options, this included a map of O licence space cross London.
Dutch courage – Dutch zero emission zones – Zak Bond Clean Cities
Zak spoke preview of report not yet launched, secret pre–briefing that will be released to TfL LoCity Oct 18th. Zak explained Clean City involvement in 20 European countries and over 140 cities in a collaboration for clean air. Speaking Dutch geographic Zak explained huge increase in electric vehicles, vans and trucks. A sneak pre-view of the report was marked strictly confidential. Watch this space!.....
Keith Doe spoke Thames Clipper boat from Becton to Central on electric and fast for final mile.
Varamis Rail speaker
