FedEx delivery comes to Paris

Le FedEx hybrid tricycle

Jon Boyd, Sep 03, 10.

American common carrier giant FedEx is experimenting with an environmentally-friendly way to deliver their packages in Paris, as reported by Jonna McKone in the The City Fix blog:

FedEx now has four tricycles making mail deliveries in Paris – 12 by the end of the summer – that run on a 250-watt electric motor supplemented with pedal power. The company partnered with Urban Cab, a transportation service with 22 pedal-powered “rickshaws” around the city.

The tricycles require manual pedaling to start the motor. Although slightly bulky, there’s a tall, removable storage container that sits between the back two wheels. The vehicles can travel at a speed of around 20 kilometers per hour and are welcome traffic in Paris’ pedestrian-only areas and many bike lanes. (Watch the video of the trike in action here.)

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe has made a special effort during his tenure of the past 10 years to widen sidewalks and replace car lanes with bike and bus corridors. FedEx anticipates that this intiative is keeping the company ahead of plans to develop more car-less areas of the city. Paris plans to develop over 400 miles of bike lanes by 2014 and already has a number of streets devoted to pedestrian-only traffic.

FedEx’s sustainable fleet is relatively new, but drivers are already saying that they are able to make faster, more efficient deliveries. They avoid the traffic that clogs the streets of central Paris while moving at a decent speed. During a trial period, the bikes delivered on average 15 packages per hour. FedEx’s managing director of operations for France, Dirk Van Impe, says the tricycles have improved efficiency, are financially viable, and good for the company’s visibility.

In addition to reducing the carbon footprint, Van Impe says in the video that FedEx saves 25-50% in costs per package in parking-challenged Paris.

Photo: Autobloggreen