The Growth of E-Commerce Due to COVID-19 and the Need for Urban Logistics Centers Using Electric Vehicles: Bratislava Case Study

Tomáš Settey, Jozef Gnap, Dominika Beňová, Michal Pavličko and Oľga Blažeková
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Tomáš Settey: Department of Road and Urban Transport, Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Zilina, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Jozef Gnap: Department of Road and Urban Transport, Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Zilina, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Dominika Beňová: Department of Road and Urban Transport, Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Zilina, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Michal Pavličko: Department of Quantitative Methods and Economic Informatics, Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Zilina, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Oľga Blažeková: Department of Quantitative Methods and Economic Informatics, Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications, University of Zilina, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: Before the COVID-19 pandemic there had already been an increase in individual shipment transportation including inner-city areas. During the pandemic and implementation of adopted preventive measures, it has increased by more than 100% in some cities. This presents an unsustainable development, particularly in terms of urban environment. The above-mentioned development has accelerated the research related to optimal allocation of logistics centres considering the last-mile distribution. Unfortunately, the theoretical mathematical model that finds an optimal urban logistics centre location based on the matrix of distance, number, and weight of shipments is not applicable in most cities. Therefore, the following research methodology was chosen in accordance with the approved territorial plan. The authors considered those locations in Bratislava—the capital of Slovak Republic—which are designated, or suitable for building up of an urban logistics centre. These localities were afterwards evaluated in a real-world case study employing methods of mathematical programming (linear programming), the nearest neighbour method, and the Clarke-Wright method. The presented methodology can be applied not only when deciding on the appropriate location of the city logistics centre, but also at optimizing the vehicle routing problem. Taking into account the urban logistics sustainability and the e-commerce growth, it was analysed whether the suggested location of urban logistics centre is feasible to provision examined facilities using electric vehicles. The range of considered electric vehicles of N2 category present in the market tends to be at the limits of distribution routes length for the given case study. Therefore, the article also deals with the fast-charging possibilities of vehicles during handling operations and the use of hybrid freight vehicles in city logistics.

Keywords: logistics centre; distribution; electric vehicle; sustainable city logistics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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