scholarly journals Digital Twins: A Critical Discussion on Their Potential for Supporting Policy-Making and Planning in Urban Logistics

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10623
Author(s):  
Edoardo Marcucci ◽  
Valerio Gatta ◽  
Michela Le Pira ◽  
Lisa Hansson ◽  
Svein Bråthen
Keyword(s):  
Policy Making ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Urban Freight ◽  
Sound Theory ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Load Factors ◽  
Urban Freight Transport

Poor logistics efficiency, due to low load factors caused by high demand fragmentation, will have relevant negative consequences for cities in terms of pollution, congestion and overall city liveability. Policy-makers should equip themselves with appropriate tools to perform reliable, comprehensive and timely analyses of urban logistics scenarios, also considering upcoming (i) technological changes, (ii) business model evolutions and (iii) spatial-temporal changes these innovations will produce. This paper discusses the Digital Twin (DT) concept, illustrating the role it might play and clarifying how to properly conceive it with respect to urban freight transport policy-making and planning. The main message is that without a sound theory and knowledge with respect to the relationships linking contextual reality and choice/behaviour, it is not possible to make sense of what happens in the real world. Therefore, the joint use of behavioural and simulation models should characterise a DT within a Living Lab approach so to stimulate effective, well-informed and participated planning processes, but also to forecast both behaviour and reactions to structural changes and policy measures implementations.

scholarly journals An Overview of Problems and Solutions for Urban Freight Transport in Brazilian Cities

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leise Oliveira ◽  
Betty Barraza ◽  
Bruno Bertocini ◽  
Cassiano Isler ◽  
Dannúbia Pires ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Freight Transport ◽  
Urban Freight ◽  
Urban Freight Transport ◽  
Problems And Solutions

scholarly journals Innovative Scheme for Efficient Freight Movement and Sustainable Emissions Management

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-250
Author(s):  
Afroditi Anagnostopoulou ◽  
Evangelia Papargyri ◽  
Maria Boile
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Management ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Experimental Simulation ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Urban Freight ◽  
Policies And Measures ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Urban Freight Transport ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper presents and analyses an innovative integrated scheme that aims to rationalize and improve the efficiency of urban freight transport as well as to promote reduced GHG emissions and traffic flows. Emissions management has become critical concern for modern companies and public authorities seeking to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption from private and commercial heavy vehicle fleets, in line with the political targets of COP21 to COP23. The proposed scheme aims to utilize the current technological advances for efficient transport and logistics operations that regional authorities and companies can use and afford in order to provide competitive traffic management decisions as well as improvements in terms of pollutant emissions reduction. Both public and private stakeholders could interact to monitor and evaluate the impact of traffic policies and measures over time as well as the level of success of their routing strategies. Computational results on different scenarios of an experimental simulation model illustrate the competitiveness of the proposed scheme in an effort to quantify its effect.

scholarly journals Different Charging Strategies for Electric Vehicle Fleets in Urban Freight Transport

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13080
Author(s):  
Bram Kin ◽  
Meike Hopman ◽  
Hans Quak
Keyword(s):  
Electric Vehicle ◽  
Freight Transport ◽  
Urban Freight ◽  
Personnel Costs ◽  
Urban Freight Transport ◽  
Feasible Alternative ◽  
Reservation System ◽  
Operational Constraints ◽  
Charging Stations ◽  
Charging Strategy

The transition from diesel-driven urban freight transport towards more electric urban freight transport turns out to be challenging in practice. A major concern for transport operators is how to find a reliable charging strategy for a larger electric vehicle fleet that provides flexibility based on different daily mission profiles within that fleet, while also minimizing costs. This contribution assesses the trade-off between a large battery pack and opportunity charging with regard to costs and operational constraints. Based on a case study with 39 electric freight vehicles that have been used by a parcel delivery company and a courier company in daily operations for over a year, various scenarios have been analyzed by means of a TCO analysis. Although a large battery allows for more flexibility in planning, opportunity charging can provide a feasible alternative, especially in the case of varying mission profiles. Additional personnel costs during opportunity charging can be avoided as much as possible by a well-integrated charging strategy, which can be realized by a reservation system that minimizes the risk of occupied charging stations and a dense network of charging stations.

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