The Kempten logistics company Dachser has launched a pilot project in downtown Munich following the opening of the new XXL bicycle logistics hub in Munich, where food is cooled and delivered by cargo bike and special transport containers. The pilot is intended to provide insights into how emission-free downtown delivery with Frigofracht can work efficiently and economically. The two-month pilot project is being implemented by Dachser Food Logistics Munich, based in Neufahrn. Together with partner B4B Logistics and the companies DENSO with their brand GreenZen Solutions and MBM, two technologies have already been tested in downtown Munich since the end of June to deliver cooled deliveries flexibly, quietly, and emission-free by cargo bike.
Nearly 200 orders have already been executed, 20 kilometers per tour were easily feasible, and further operational optimizations are already underway, as Stefan Behrendt, Managing Director Food Logistics at Dachser, reports on site. Initially, the focus is not so much on profitability but on feasibility, he emphasized. The impetus comes from both the customers, who desire emission-free delivery solutions, and from the EU’s climate protection regulations in general. Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter welcomed the initiative as a potential relief to traffic and sees especially plausible applications in the food sector, such as butchers. He also assured that he would advocate for this with guilds and associations, said the SPD politician.
Refined
construction technology with active and passive cooling
A cargo bike is used with an insulated container (0.8-1.4 m³) accessible from the sides and rear, and a battery-operated cooling unit from GreenZen Solutions with a payload of 190 kilograms. This active cooling solution is equipped with sensors and a connectivity module for reliable downtown delivery, enabling a controllably closed cooling chain with real-time data. The model marketed under the rental concept, named Last Mile Climate Control Cube (LMCC, currently 2-7°, soon also 2-25°), features an interchangeable battery to perform multiple loops. Additionally, a trailer with a structure from MBM is used, featuring passive cooling via cooling packs and fans. The trailer then accommodates a full Euro pallet with up to 400 kilograms total weight, expanding the range for bundled cooled freight or general cargo.
From the hub to the shop
For downtown delivery by cargo bike, shipments are first transported from the Neufahrn branch to the new bicycle logistics hub at the Paketposthalle on Wilhelm-Hale-Straße. This includes a variety of foods such as dairy, meat, and sausages. A large refrigerated container is available at the bicycle logistics hub for interim storage of shipments. Depending on the planned tour, goods are then loaded onto the cargo bike and trailer to deliver to one or multiple recipients. Deliveries are made to, for example, hotels, bars, restaurants, kiosks,
supermarkets, and delicatessen shops. During the pilot project, two tours per day are planned. It is crucial for the high quality and safety standards in food logistics that the cooling chain is never interrupted during the entire transport process, which is monitored by sensors.
Experience with emission-free city logistics
The company points to long-standing experience in emission-free downtown delivery. Under the label "DACHSER Emission-free Delivery," the concept is now used in 19 large European cities, with six more planned by the end of 2025. Depending on local conditions, electric trucks, electric vans, and cargo bikes are utilized. For the concept and pilot implementation in Stuttgart, the company received the Sustainable Urban Logistics Award from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Environment Agency in 2018. In Munich, the Kempten-based company defined a delivery zone in 2022 where non-cooled general cargo shipments are exclusively delivered with electric trucks and cargo bikes. Here, the logistics company collaborates with partner B4B Logistics, who is also on board for the new pilot project for emission-free delivery of cooled goods, especially food, in downtown Munich.
With suppliers and tech companies DENSO and MBM, technology partners have been found for this ambitious project. The pilot is also supported by the Mobility Department of the City of Munich with the new bicycle logistics hub at the old Paketposthalle,
which offers an ideal starting point for inner-city delivery.
"Currently, there are hardly any technical solutions in the cooling sector for cargo bikes that have been tested in everyday logistics and meet quality and economic requirements," explains Wolfram Kölzow, Operations Manager at the Dachser Logistics Center Munich Food Logistics in Neufahrn.
Accordingly, the aim is to gain insights into what a reliable set-up looks like in the coming weeks. The bicycle logistics hub is an important component, Kölzow continues.
"Cargo bikes can be a very sensible addition to urban delivery traffic. They are flexible to use, drive quietly and emission-free, and thus make an important contribution to sustainable downtown delivery," says Stefan Behrendt, Managing Director Food Logistics at Dachser.
He sees great potential, especially in temperature-controlled deliveries for the last mile, even though their use is currently still subject to certain conditions: short distances, high delivery density, and suitable infrastructure such as micro depots, Behrendt names these as priorities. The experiences from the pilot project are hoped to be transferable to the European Food Logistics network in the future. The company has been using emission-free delivery vehicles for ten years. The fleet of vehicles with alternative drives is continuously being expanded in the short and long range. Currently, there are over 130 zero-emission vehicles for goods transport on the road in Europe for the
