Estimating costs and CO2 emissions for last mile delivery of groceries in Paris using alternative modes and routing strategies

Last mile delivery is a significant component in the growth of e-commerce, especially in urban areas. The deliveries in dense cities cause several serious issues such as air/noise pollution and congestion. In this study, we compare the financial costs and CO2 emissions from different last mile delivery strategies of grocery bins in a scenario in Paris with four types of delivery vehicles (diesel/electric vans, cargo bikes, and autonomous delivery vehicles). We use costs associated with each vehicle type, location data with constraints for establishments in Paris, and delivery scenarios obtained by solving the vehicle routing problem for an overall cost comparison. We consider an economic analysis of the daily delivery to optimise the costs and estimate the CO2 emissions. The results highlight the competitiveness among last mile delivery and reflect the transition knowing the transport expenses since 2018: electric van costs become competitive with diesel ones, it concluded by some perspectives with cargo bikes and autonomous vehicles with their current limits. The strategies show a great impact on overall cost and emissions, which are vital in the development of sustainable urban last-mile delivery.