AxleHire Scales Zero-Emissions Delivery with Tortoise and Urb-e

AxleHire Expands Zero-Emission Delivery Programs Nationwide

AxleHire, a last-mile logistics provider, utilizes a network encompassing gig economy couriers and traditional carriers to facilitate same-day and next-day delivery services. The company has been conducting pilot programs with Tortoise, an automated repositioning startup, and URB-E, a compact container delivery service. These trials, initially focused on Los Angeles and New York City, are now slated for national expansion over the coming 12 months.

Expanding Partnerships with Tortoise

Known for delivering parcels and meal kits from companies like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, AxleHire intends to deploy over 100 Tortoise robots throughout the country. The initial URB-E deployment in New York City during the summer involved 10 vehicles handling 100 containers weekly.

URB-E Deployment Growth

Now, AxleHire will increase the URB-E fleet to 50 vehicles, capable of moving between 300 and 500 containers per week across New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, alongside other yet-to-be-announced cities. These launch locations are expected to align with AxleHire’s existing operational areas, including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Diego, Seattle, Phoenix, and Portland, Oregon.

Sustainable and Cost-Effective Delivery

AxleHire strategically establishes delivery hubs within or near densely populated metropolitan areas to optimize routes and minimize overall travel distances. The collaborations with Tortoise and URB-E are integral to AxleHire’s commitment to creating more sustainable and economically viable last-mile delivery solutions.

The company reports that these partnerships have resulted in a 95% reduction in emissions. AxleHire’s approach, testing two distinct, environmentally friendly, and technologically advanced transportation methods, will likely provide valuable insights for other logistics companies.

Microcontainer Delivery in New York City

In New York, AxleHire and URB-E have collaborated on a microcontainer delivery system connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan. URB-E’s vehicles are designed to operate within bike lanes, despite their capacity to carry over 800 pounds. The pilot program yielded a sixfold decrease in traffic congestion and a delivery model that is three times less expensive than using electric vans, primarily due to reduced parking fines.

Tortoise Robot Trials in Los Angeles

Throughout the past year in Los Angeles, AxleHire utilized Tortoise’s electric, remotely piloted carts – capable of carrying up to 120 pounds of goods – within its city delivery microhubs. These robots, identifiable by their friendly smiley faces, completed approximately 15 deliveries daily within a three-mile radius.

Furthermore, AxleHire employed a truck loaded with packages alongside a Tortoise robot. The truck served as a mobile delivery hub, while the robot handled deliveries within a dense residential area, continuously reloading throughout the day.

The "Hive Model" for Increased Efficiency

“It’s essentially the hive model, augmenting the capacity of existing vans or trucks in terms of deliveries completed within a two-hour timeframe,” explained Dmitry Shevelenko, co-founder of Tortoise, to TechCrunch. “Communication occurs with the recipient to confirm their availability. Upon confirmation, they are notified when the robot is approximately 10 minutes away, and then collect their package from the robot’s containers upon arrival.”

Robot Capabilities and Charging

According to Shevelenko, Tortoise’s bots can navigate sidewalks or bike lanes and feature both swappable batteries and plug-in charging capabilities. A single charge provides a range of 10 to 15 miles.

The Path to Full Autonomy

While Tortoise’s bots will operate under 100% remote control for the next year, full autonomy remains the ultimate objective. Partnerships like these, and collaborations with shared e-scooter operators such as Spin, allow Tortoise to enter markets lacking regulations for self-driving vehicles and to establish a presence immediately, avoiding years of mapping.

The primary infrastructural requirement for the bots is 4G connectivity.

Data Collection and Mapping

“The advantage lies in our ability to deploy robots to new locations and leverage human judgment throughout the journey,” Shevelenko stated. “This eliminates the need for perfect routing or mapping. We continuously refine our maps, providing us with a significant data advantage.”

By consistently gathering routing data over the next year, Tortoise will enhance its system’s learning capabilities and optimize routes for low-speed, lightweight delivery vehicles. Shevelenko envisions expanding Tortoise’s technology to encompass various light electric vehicles, including delivery robots, scooters, cleaning robots, security robots, and construction robots, with delivery being a prime initial application due to the high demand generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maximizing Data and Community Acceptance

“The more vehicles equipped with Tortoise technology, the more data we collect, leading to increased autonomy and reduced costs,” Shevelenko added.

Beyond data collection, remote-controlled delivery bots offer the benefit of familiarizing communities with this new technology. “We believe the best approach is to first assure people of its safety and build their comfort level,” Shevelenko explained. “Once it becomes integrated into daily life, we can gradually introduce more autonomy, without rushing the process. The reality is that many claiming autonomy still rely on safety drivers or remote monitors, lacking full trust in their systems. We are acknowledging this and prioritizing a cautious approach.”