Following a competitive pitch process, the project is a partnership of five organizations: UPS, Fernhay, Skotkonung, University of Huddersfield, and Outspoken Delivery. The first of its type in the U.K., the trial will take place from UPS’s London depot.

Packages will be loaded onto pay load boxes at the depot and delivered by a single trailer to a central hub located within a busy urban area. The boxes are distributed from the hub via power-assisted trailers. The packages are then delivered to homes and businesses by bicycle or on foot.

The pay load boxes are moved by electric assisted trailers which feature patented net-neutral technology, which means the weight of the parcels — up to 200 kilograms — isn’t felt by the handler. This allows for increased last mile deliveries in a sustainable manner. The trial will feature bike trailers making deliveries in and around Camden during November and December.

“Low Impact City Logistics is a collaborative project that could revolutionize the way we deliver packages in our cities,” said Peter Harris, director of sustainability for UPS Europe.

In partnership with cities around the world, UPS is developing a number of solutions to reduce congestion and emissions in the urban communities it serves. According to UN projections, continuing population growth and urbanization are projected to add 2.5 billion people to the world’s urban population by 2050, increasing demand for deliveries and straining current practices.

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