Energy demand of parcel delivery services with a mixed fleet of electric vehicles

Drone logistics is considered as a disruptive business model reshaping logistics in the next decades. Most prominent potential advantages of drone delivery are cost savings, high speed, and high flexibility. Additionally, drones are also considered as a means of green transportation as they are electric vehicles which are potentially emission-free. To which extent these claimed potentials exist depends on the application scenario as well as the environmental and technological conditions. In this study a stationary drone delivery system is considered where parcels are delivered from a central depot to customers either by drone or electric truck. The minimal total energy consumption for serving all customers is determined when using only an electric truck or a mixed fleet of electric trucks and drones. In a simulation study the effects of structural characteristics (like numbers of customers and customer density) and environmental conditions (like wind speed and traffic conditions) on potential energy savings using drones are estimated. The results indicate that structural characteristics and environmental conditions heavily affect the energy saving potential of drones. In urban settings with high customer density, the energy saving potential is limited to at most 1% while in rural settings drones can help to save 5% of total energy. Under drone-favoring conditions like calm winds and heavy traffic, the energy saving potential can double.

Automated summary

This study explores the energy-saving potential of drones in mixed fleets, with an emphasis on the impact of customer density and environmental conditions. In urban settings, drones have limited energy-saving potential, while in rural settings, they can contribute significantly to energy savings. Under favorable conditions such as calm winds and heavy traffic, drones have the potential to double energy savings.