The eight e-Sprinters that Mercedes-Benz handed over to GLS on May 13 are now on the road around the Alster, in St. Georg and in Hafencity. They start their tours directly from the GLS depot in Hamburg-Billbrook. This will save around 25 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

GLS has installed several quick-charging stations on the depot premises, which can be used to charge the vehicles within two hours. The range of the batteries is sufficient for the daily route of the delivery tours.

"Like us, Mercedes-Benz is involved in the BMVI's ZUKUNFT.DE funding project," says Martin Seidenberg, CEO of GLS Germany. "We are delighted to now be able to extensively test the Mercedes-Benz e-vehicles in the 3.5-ton class in practical use as part of this project."

"By using the vehicles under realistic everyday conditions in the parcel service, we gain valuable insights into how we can further optimize the eSprinter in collaboration with the logistics companies," says Benjamin Kaehler, Head of eDrive@Vans at Mercedes-Benz Vans.

Cargo bikes instead of diesel vans
Since March, four cargo bikes have replaced two conventional diesel vans in the city center. The eBikes also have the advantage of making better progress in traffic jams and finding parking spaces more easily, which benefits the general flow of traffic. Residents and recipients have also responded positively to the bike delivery.

The "MovR" cargo bikes from the manufacturer Rytle also allow the parcel container to be exchanged easily. This model has already proven itself in use for GLS in Oldenburg. Depending on the parcel quantity and size, one or two containers per bike are loaded in the morning. When the first container is empty, the driver simply swaps it out and continues delivering. The eBikes allow carbon dioxide savings of around eight tons per year. Together with the savings from the e-Sprinters, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by a total of around 33 tons per year.

Focus on environmental protection
With GLS KlimaProtect, GLS Germany has set itself clear goals for environmental protection: conserving resources and avoiding or offsetting emissions. "The emission-free delivery to Hamburg city center is another milestone in our GLS KlimaProtect program," says Martin Seidenberg.