TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2020 – Today Purolator is launching innovative delivery vehicles to increase network capacity, reduce its carbon footprint and provide greater fleet flexibility in urban centres. The new fleet of vehicles offers a last-mile delivery solution to respond to the ever-increasing growth in e-commerce.
New innovations address last-mile delivery challenges and environmental impact
“More than ever, we’re committed to helping dense metropolitan cities operate more smoothly through new delivery methods that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says John Ferguson, Purolator President and CEO.
The company is now rolling out new and expanded sustainable operational innovations to lower vehicle emissions and improve customer experience in densely populated areas by:
- Testing new fully electric low-speed vehicles to reduce noise and traffic congestion when delivering within busy downtown core areas of Toronto, Ont., and Montreal, Que. The compact size of low-speed vehicles make delivering on busy streets with limited parking more manageable, as they take up less than half the space of a traditional delivery truck.
- Expanding its fleet of electric-cargo bikes (e-bikes) in Montreal to manoeuvre through pedestrian-only and zero-emission zones and street closures. Additionally, the e-bikes can be parked on sidewalks for delivery within restricted-parking areas. The fleet of e-bikes is housed at Canada’s first urban distribution centre, opened with the City of Montreal.
- Piloting automated self-serve parcel lockers at Honoré-Beaugrand subway station in Montreal. This initiative, in partnership with Société de transport de Montréal and the City of Montreal, is one of the first public transit subway systems providing commuters a convenient self-serve option for picking up shipments.
Since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Purolator has seen residential deliveries increase approximately 50 per cent, including in areas designated as pedestrian-only or those with limited access for delivery trucks. Purolator’s low-speed vehicles and e-bikes offer quick service to these spots by providing a flexible alternative for delivery. As regulations around transportation and city logistics continue to evolve, these alternative vehicles provide an agile solution with the ability to deliver the same number of packages as a standard-size delivery truck.
“Purolator has made important sustainability investments as part of our $1B delivering the future growth and innovation plan,” says John Ferguson. “We’ve consistently evolved over our 60-year history to stay one step ahead of change. Our goal is to continuously innovate, adapt intelligently and provide workable solutions for the unique challenges of urban growth, along with the growth in B2B, e-commerce and home deliveries, particularly as the economy navigates through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In the company’s 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, Purolator underscored its commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. To meet that goal, the company will introduce new types vehicles to its fleet, with advanced technology to improve delivery performance and safety, complementing Purolator’s existing fleet of 323 hybrid-electric vehicles, to reduce the organization’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
About Purolator
Purolator Inc. is a leading integrated freight, package and logistics solutions provider in Canada. Celebrating almost 60 years of delivering its customers' promises, Purolator continues to expand its reach and renowned service levels and reliability to more people, more businesses and more places across the country and around the world. Purolator is proud of its Canadian heritage and is focused on sustainably positioning itself for future growth and success. Purolator is also committed to contributing to the well-being of the communities it serves and where more than 12,000 of its employees live, work and play. For more information, visit purolator.com.
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Courtney Reistetter
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