Application of the Experimental Method in the Assessment of the Electromobility Paradigm for Courier Shipments in an Urban Agglomeration

Abstract

The main idea of this article is to identify the benefits of the full vehicle substitution process for a fully sustainable Urban Freight Transport (UFT) in economic, social, and environmental terms, based on the application of the experimental method. The scientific assumption was made that Electric Delivery Vehicles (EFV) can be complementary in the first stage, and only in the next stage, substitutable to the traditional diesel-powered fleet servicing transport (courier) tasks within the delivery limits in the Szczecin Agglomeration. To assess the level of substitutability, observational instruments were used, while ensuring an active modification of the studied phenomenon (introduction to the operation of selected routes of electric vehicles). The focus was on three key elements, the environment, rules, and regularities. The article presents the architecture of such experiments regarding 22 selected routes, which allowed for the calculation of selected performance indicators for ex-ante evaluation in planning delivery scenarios. The results were verified using a simulation-based approach in the Szczecin Metropolitan Area. As a result, it made it possible to find answers to the research questions posed, in particular: is it possible to fully replace combustion-engine vans with electric ones, and what integrated benefits can be identified, and their systematics has been illustrated in the proposed proprietary model “Electromobility Octagon Profit”. Future research could extend the theoretical knowledge by further exploring the development processes for the use of electric vehicles in the urban freight transport system and by adding insights from other contexts, stakeholders, and theoretical areas.

1. Introduction

Socio-economic development is increasingly determined not only by material factors, i.e., Best Available Techniques (BAT) [1], but also by many interpenetrating other factors that are of a different nature, i.e., intangible (e.g., creativity, knowledge, or innovation). In the literature on the subject, a strong emphasis on social issues can be observed more and more often, thanks to which logistics becomes a key instrument for ensuring the best possible conditions for the functioning of companies and improving the quality of life of city residents. The search for effective and efficient solutions, which are supposed to combine tools integrating cargo movements and optimization tools, led to the development of the “Social Logistics” trend. The representatives of this direction of research include, inter alia, E. Taniguchi, T. Yamada, R.G. Thompson, S. Kauf, and J. Szołtysek [2,3,4]. As also rightly noted by, for example, V. Banabakova: “The concept of social logistics (logistics of social flows and processes) is related to, but not identical to, the concept of socially-oriented logistics (study of problems related to the impact of transport on the environment)” [5]. Therefore, a holistic view of “City Logistics” is required, taking into account the requirements, expectations, and needs of individual groups of urban space stakeholders, satisfied in a synergetic manner. Thus, City Logistics is becoming “the art of managing conflict connections”, because it turns out that, for example, manufacturers are interested in fast and error-free deliveries, retailers require a full range and frequent deliveries, and residents themselves wanting to have easy and full access to goods, not allow for the loss of quality of life in public spaces, and the city authorities, in turn, have to find solutions to the problems related to the negative externalities associated with Urban Freight Transport (UFT) in economic, social and environmental terms.

An emanation of such a responsible and sustainable attitude of all parties is Freight Quality Partnership (FQP), which is a synergistic agreement between the key stakeholders of UFT, i.e., city authorities, business representatives, logistics operators, transport companies, organizations dealing with environmental protection, local communities. They define how to cooperate in order to solve key problems related to the logistics of the supply of production (B2B) or consumer (B2C) goods for business customers or consumers who are located within the administrative boundaries of the city [6]. This voluntary and intentional broad cooperation platform allows for the multilateral exchange of information, pluralistic exchange of experiences as well as synergistic implementation and consolidation of projects related to the optimization of goods supply in the city from the point of view of sustainable development. Due to the increasing phenomenon of increasing the promotion of electromobility in terms of the supply of goods in the city, where the main limitation seems to be the economic aspect (including the high costs of creating a fleet of electric vehicles and building a dedicated power supply infrastructure), also the social aspect (which comes down to among others, to the relatively low level of awareness of the managerial staff of the owners of transport fleets, and the privileges of the Electric Freight Vehicle (EFV), the environmental aspect (including the lack of prioritization of pro-environmental goals of municipal authorities and the cacophony of voices of social groups), are activities aimed at increasing the level of knowledge and understanding of the pluralistic needs of stakeholders (business and local communities) seem to be extremely important.

Due to the fact that the extremely important role of using a systemic approach in emphasizing the benefits of using an electric drive for light commercial vehicles carrying out courier deliveries in the city was noticed, research was undertaken that allowed for (a) classification of routes due to the structure of their sections, (b) analysis of changes in the state of charge of the battery depending on the nature of the section of the route covered by the vehicles, and (c) analysis of changes in the range depending on the reduction of additional energy consumers. The research problem presented by the authors can be reduced to three questions, to which answers were sought, i.e., How it is?-observation of reality, Why is it like that?-model, dependencies and How could it be otherwise?–forecast. As a result, an integrated “Electromobility Octagon Profit” model was proposed for electric light commercial vehicles. In this study, three different electric-powered delivery vehicles were used in the experiment and used for daily courier routes by a leading operator delivering deliveries in the seventh most populous city in Poland (>400,000 inhabitants) but the third largest city in Poland by area (>30,000 ha), according to data from the Central Statistical Office in Poland. Empirical research, in which the experimental method was used, was enriched with the use of an inductive approach, taking into account the adopted research approach.

The rest of the article is organized as follows: First, the theoretical background and literature review is described in Section 2. This is followed by the Methodology Section 3, pointing to the Methods and Key Research Questions, before moving on to the Results (Section 4). The results are interpreted in a Discussion (Section 5) and the article ends with Conclusions (Section 6).

2. Courier Services in the Urban Logistics Space–Theoretical Approach and Literature Review

Urban space has recently become an arena of dynamic changes both on the demand and supply side [7,8,9,10]. Development of internet techniques of sale, information society, mobile communication technologies, and the worldwide pandemic of COVID 19 results in a huge change in customers’ habits and expectations. E-commerce and last mile deliveries significantly grew, attracting researchers’ attention. The sustainable e-commerce logistics is approached from three main perspectives [11]:

• economic, found as stability, growth and financial benefit, commercial opportunities;
• social–environment improvements of the community, growth of territories;
• and environmental dimension is considered as the conservation of natural resources and improvement of the CO₂ footprint in urban areas.

It is easy to identify a dynamic increase of publications in Scopus and WOS databases in recent years, respectively from 100 and 47 in years 2010–2019 to 131 and 135 in years 2020–2022. That means the city logistic phenomenon becomes more important both for researchers and city dwellers.

The issues related to the use of electric vehicles for goods distribution reveal a wide range of relevant research problems, mostly in economic and environmental approaches [12]. A complex analysis of strategies for replacing internal combustion with electric vehicles and potential benefits can be found at Giordano. A limited number of studies use real driving cycle data, and these analyses are mainly descriptive or limited to assessing energy consumption [13]. This premise was one of the reasons for the research preformed for this paper. Multi criterion methods of assessment readiness EFV to carry out transport duties in city logistics are presented by Wątróbski [14].

Regarding the utilization of EFV in city logistics most papers are focused on loading infrastructure and charging schedules [15], route optimization [16,17,18,19] at the same time underestimate integrated benefits for logistic companies, here presented in eight categories, as “Electromobility Octagon Profit”.

The city is an endogenously complex logistics system that creates the city’s ecosystem, which is why City Logistics plays an important role in this space, though not the only one. In a holistic approach, the logistics of a city agglomeration may have three complementary aspects. The authors are of the opinion that the first aspect commonly considered in the literature on the subject, i.e., the aspect of “City Logistics”, is related to the superior striving to optimize material flows (in terms of costs, time and quality, i.e., in the so-called “Gold Logistics Triangle” optics in the city (i.e., in the flows of goods flowing into the city, flowing out of the city and in transit through the city), because each urban agglomeration is an extremely complex morphologically open logistics system that requires supplying goods in a B2B relationship (for the needs of manufacturing, commercial and service enterprises constituting a component of the so-called industrial residents) and B2C (for the needs of consumers who are identified with individual residents), while the second aspect, which is much broader in scope, concerns the aspect of “City System Logistics”. It is treated as a complex logistics system that requires material, information, energy, human, financial, and service resources (MIEPF + S), which are consumed by elements (groups) of the complex urban fabric (Stakeholders of the City System). Therefore, since the city is an extremely complex endogenous logistics system that creates the city’s ecosystem, city logistics plays an important role in this space, though not the only one. Taking this point of view, considering electromobility in the city must have a narrowing aspect, i.e., it comes down to the third aspect, i.e., “Logistics in the City”. This view is presented in Figure 1.

In the aspect of logistics management (thinking in terms of “time-quality-costs”), there is a key component, which is “City Authorities”, whose involvement in the issues of “City Logistics” is realized through, for example, an agreement (Freight Quality Partnership), transport operators (but also logistics operators-3PL, who operationally carry out deliveries in the city in the B2B and B2C formula, and often postulated in various concepts and studies-“Logistics Provider” including [20,21], which is a competent, comprehensive, synergetic and economically beneficial way will address the issues of urban logistics holistically (Figure 2).

Certain definition problems are also caused by the fact that, for example, in Polish law, there is a kind of paradox, because courier services, which constitute the pillar of the CEP industry services (courier, express, parcel), are classified as postal services on the one hand and transport services on the other. The applicable provisions in the form of the Postal Law Act of 12 June 2003, do not take into account the definition that was in force in the previous regulation, i.e., the Communications Act of 23 November 1990 [22], according to which the courier service was a “service not having a general character, consisting in profitable, accelerated transport and delivery of shipments within the guaranteed time limit”. However, according to forecasts of Polish Post, which is the national operator, indicate that in 2023 the value of the CEP market in Poland (courier, express, and parcel services) will be at the level of almost PLN 12 billion, and CEP operators will handle almost 850 million parcels, which doubles the number of parcels sent in 2017 and an increase of 78% compared to 2018. The projected average annual growth rate in 2019–2023 will be 11% [23,24].

3. Methodological Assumptions of the Research on the Usefulness of Electric Delivery Vehicles (EFV) in Urban Freight Transport

3.1. Background

The basic research assumption used in the experimental method used by the authors was the statement that: “the implementation of electromobility must be carried out in two stages, i.e., electric vehicles in the first stage are to be complementary, and only in the next stage-substitutable-in relation to the traditional diesel-powered fleet servicing transport tasks in administrative limits of the city”. In order to be able to assess the possible level of substitutability, an observational instrumentation was used with an active modification of the studied phenomenon (introduction to the operation of selected routes of electric vehicles). The focus is on three key elements, namely the environment (identification and the possibility of systematizing routes), rules (efficient customer service on all routes), and regularities (function of variables determined by the environment and rules). The conducted research required the support and participation of drivers from a leading courier company serving the Szczecin agglomeration (Szczecin Metropolitan Area-SOM). This functional urban area covers an area of 2795 km², with a population of 687,000. Residents. The city of Szczecin, which is the third largest city in Poland in terms of area of 300.55 km², plays the role of a central center (it is inhabited by every fourth inhabitant of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and every hundredth of Poland) [25] and is one of ten metropolitan centers indicated in the state “National Spatial Development Concept 2030” [26]. Additionally, it is a key functional center within the Pomerania Euroregion and cross-border and transnational cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. This monocentric urban-industrial agglomeration system, both within its territory and also in terms of transit (a distinctive attribute is the cross-border location), is characterized by intensively occurring processes of movement of people, goods, capital, and information. As a result, it becomes a perspective area of scientific research in the spatial and functional dimensions. An additional advantage of the research in its spatial and functional dimension is the fact that in March 2019 the City of Szczecin received two awards, one from the Polish Alternative Fuels Association entitled “City-friendly electromobility”, and the second at the 17th International Fair of Electrical Equipment and Security Systems ELECTROTECHNICS 2019 for the best electromobility strategy of 2018 in the category of cities above 100,000 inhabitants pt. “Program for the Development of Electromobility of the City of Szczecin”.

3.2. Methodology and Research Question

The ambition of this study is to present a detailed picture of the actual state of implementation of the courier delivery process with the use of light delivery vehicles and to identify the conditions and limitations in order to highlight the benefits of using this drive in a systemic way [27]. For this reason, the study focuses on one urban delivery system (one operator) and is a case study. Data collection in the study is collected using the method-participant and non-participant observation and based on the data aggregation questionnaire used. The architecture of the experiments on 22 selected routes was also methodically presented, which allowed the calculation of selected performance indicators for ex-ante evaluation in the planned implementation scenarios. Such a systematized approach based on the accuracy of the selection of the method for the adopted objectives and the existing research conditions allowed us to obtain significant scientific knowledge.

As part of the EUFAL (Electric Urban Freight and Logistics) [28] research project, the scope of the research selected by the authors focused on testing the adopted research assumptions with the use of a total of three models of electric vans, i.e., Nissan e-NV200 40 kWh, Nissan e-NV200 24 kWh and Renault Kangoo ZE 33 kWh, on selected routes operated so far only by vehicles with conventional (combustion) propulsion. The analyzed data on the share of three models of electric vehicles were averaged and in such an aggregated form were used in further analysis. Therefore, empirical research was conducted on the basis of participant observation and a data aggregation questionnaire, and the territorial scope of the research covered the administrative borders of the Szczecin Metropolitan Area. The selection of routes was made on the basis of their random selection, based on the methodology of direct measurement with quasi-representative characteristics. The area covering the individual routes is shown in Figure 3.

The implementation of this goal was devoted to empirical research conducted in real conditions, especially in terms of the analysis of workload in relation to the subject of logistic activity in structural terms, i.e., to the groups of delivered parcels (assortment) and customers (recipients) divided into two key groups, i.e., B2B (in SOM, 99.9% of the total number of enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises (with as much as 96.3% micro-enterprises) and B2C (with a negative migration balance observed (in 2008—783 people), a decrease in the number of inhabitants is estimated in 2025 to 346.6 thousand people [25]. The research process adopted a participatory approach by tracking, in real conditions, selected real routes served by couriers, which concerned two stages of the research, i.e., the first stage of the research (11–27 March 2019) and the second stage of the research (17 September–2 October 2020). Finally, a total of 22 routes were accepted for further analysis, taking as a point to outputs: the “Stage 1-Complementary Approach” to the structure of the courier fleet. This was due to the limitations of the load capacity of the electric delivery vehicles used in the experiment, compared to the traditional combustion vehicles used in everyday maintenance. This forced an initial preselection of loads under the so-called “E-route”, which was specially created according to a coherent set of different criteria, i.e., transport e-susceptibility of loads, detour time, number of collection points, and spatial extent. However, the research was carried out in the daily work cycles of couriers, according to the supply network created by real demand, thus the electric vehicles used in the experiment supplemented the conventional fleet.

For the purposes of the research, three leading scientific assumptions were made (Figure 4), in the form: (Figure 4a) three distinct classes of delivery routes can be distinguished from the point of view of the structure of their sections; (Figure 4b) the state of charge of the battery has a non-linear characteristic depending on the nature of the route segment; (Figure 4c) limiting the consumers of current irrelevantly increases the range of electric vehicles.

4. Results

The conducted experimental research allowed to positively verify the adopted research assumptions, proving that:

(Ad. Figure 4a) In order to systematize the delivery area within the Szczecin Metropolitan Area (SOM), in which the key issue was the asymmetry of the hub location of the courier company (Figure 3), in relation to the geometrically designated center of the full delivery area. Therefore, the division was made taking into account the distance of the hub from the actual delivery zone and the percentage of the distance per delivery zone. After taking into account the distance to the first stop (as part of the transport process), then the distances from this stop to the last stop (as part of the transport process) were taken into account. This process of “Clustering” was carried out using the k-means method. Thus, group A represents all points distant from the hub of the long-distance courier service (thus, the actual delivery area (DA), which is only over 32%, of the total distance traveled (from 35.09% to 36.54 Group B are dense points located in the very center of the city, slightly away from the hub, which meant that the percentage of distance traveled in the supply area ranged from 40 to 65% (with an average share of 54.59% of commuting). group C were points located in the immediate vicinity of the hub, hence the distance in the pure transport process (deliveries), i.e., DA, reached almost 76% (from 66.07% to 75.91%). As a result, the conducted research allowed to make a systemic division into three classes of routes, i.e., A (green), B (yellow), and C (red) in a three-part division system, i.e., arrival, delivery, and return (typology depending on the structure% of the total)

Table 1. Classes of routes due to the structure of their sections.

Route Name		Route 11	Route 8	Route 3	Route 16	Route 17	Route 22	Route 9	Route 5	Route 21	Route 15	Route 4
indicator	units
Battery at start	%	96	100	100	99	100	100	69	98	100	99	76
Battery at stop	%	49	58	65	53	39	60	49	75	67.5	54	52
Driving range left	km	115	145	168	75	50	136	110	176	111	77	123
Distance covered	km	74	77.2	73.1	51.3	41	30	29.6	29	51.8	50.3	28.8
Distance covered in DA	km	17.3	21.6	24.4	18	14.7	11.6	12.4	13.2	24.1	24.6	16.1
Energy consumption	kWh	18.8	16.8	14	11.04	14.64	13.2	8	9.2	10.725	10.8	9.6
% of distance in DA	%	23.38%	27.98%	33.38%	35.09%	35.85%	38.67%	41.89%	45.52%	46.53%	48.91%	55.90%
Route name		Route 20	Route 13	Route 2	Route 7	Route 12	Route 14	Route 10	Route 19	Route 18	Route 1	Route 6
indicator	units
Battery at start	%	100	98	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	76	100
Battery at stop	%	57	16	69	71	70	0	70	39	33	53	62
Driving range left	km	129	19	148	157	172	0	154	49	67	128	139
Distance covered	km	60.9	78.4	40.6	40.9	47.4	78.3	34.5	40.7	110.4	38.2	50.2
Distance covered in DA	km	34.7	47.1	25.4	26	30.3	53.3	26	30.7	83.8	30.1	40.6
Energy consumption	kWh	14.19	19.68	12.4	11.6	12	24	12	14.64	22.11	9.2	15.2
% of distance in DA	%	56.98%	60.08%	62.56%	63.57%	63.92%	68.07%	75.36%	75.43%	75.91%	78.80%	80.88%

Frames colors represents: green—group A, yellow—group B, red—group C. Source: Own study.

. The significance of the time element (T), the distance element (L), and the structure after were indicated route department (ABC) in terms of range and battery charge status of the vehicle.

(Ad. Figure 4b) The initial battery charge level for all 22 routes, divided into 3 classes A, B, and C, ranged from 98% to 100% (the average level is 99.6%), so it can be assumed that by initiating each of the 22 routes, the vehicle was ready to cover the full distance (range) expressed in kilometers. After returning to the starting point (hub), the battery charge level ranged from close to 0% (extreme situation, single case) to 67.5% (average level is 41.85%). However, depending on the type of route, it was respectively-for route A (average level is 22.0%), for route B (average level is 57.9%), and for C (average level is 49.5%). The most energy-consuming group in the area delivery of routes turned out to be group C marked in Figure 5 with a dashed line, then group B (solid line), and finally group A (dotted line).

(Ad. Figure 4c) In order to carry out an analysis related to the energy consumption of all additional equipment in the vehicle (e.g., heating, air conditioning, audio system), the range change was estimated (this only applied to the first stage of the studies 11–27 March 2019, because the vehicle interfaces in the second stage prevented the collection of An example chart (for the first five days) is shown (Figure 6), and for each analyzed route (5 routes), the range curve without receivers (solid line) and the curve with receivers turned on (dashed line) are marked they are both in the same color. from the point of view of the efficiency of courier work, taking into account the fact that after returning to the hub, the average range remaining available was 145 km.

When analyzing the collected data, it turned out that 22 routes could be taken into account (out of 100 daily routes). According to the “time” criterion, both routes realized until 15., as well as routes until 18. The existing division of routes according to the distance criterion (i.e., routes up to 50 km/day, up to 75 km/day, up to 100 km/day, and routes over 100 km/day), and only by random selection, which allowed to make appropriate observations under the experimental method and obtain synthesizing requests. Since “efficiency” seems to be one of the basic categories that can be used to describe, for example, the development opportunities of electromobility in the logistics segment of the CEP, it was used in further considerations. However, when analyzing the typology of key efficiency categories, a definition and conceptual problem arises. For example, P.A. Samuelson and W.D. Nordhaus [29] believe that “efficiency is the most efficient use of economic resources” and their approach is clearly extended by J.A.F. Stoner, R.F. Freeman and D.R. Gilbert [30] who believe that: “efficiency is a measure of efficiency and effectiveness, a measure of the extent to which set goals are achieved”. It seems that the most comprehensive approach is the approach of P. Drucker, who indicates that “efficiency is” doing things right “, while effectiveness is” doing the right things “, and effective actions do not necessarily have to be effective and vice versa”. Hence, understanding the still ongoing scientific discourse about the nature of efficiency itself, it seems that there are two conceptual categories that can make up the full understanding of the content and scope of this concept, treated primarily as a single-criteria comparison of effects with inputs, i.e.,

• efficiency in terms of technical and economic (also equated with economic efficiency)
• efficaciousness from a praxeological perspective, the emanation of which is effectiveness, beneficial, and economics.

When assessing the thus understood “efficiency” in the operational dimension, it was decided to apply selected measures of the courier process efficiency evaluation. They are related to work efficiency or cost reduction, hence the measurement concerned, among others: efficiency analysis per one courier/stops on the route, the labor productivity index, and the degree of use of the route.

The research proved that by analyzing, for example, the individual efficiency of courier work (Figure 7), treated as “the sum of courier services provided by one employee in a specific time unit”, it amounts to B2B and B2C recipients on a given route, on average for route A-0.19 parcels/min, for route B-0.20 parcels/min. and for route C-0.22 packages/min. Thus, regardless of the type of route and, consequently, the share of travel/return and delivery throughout the entire duration of the transport process, the differences turned out to be relatively small.

Additionally, the efficiency of the stops themselves vs. customers (recipients) on a given route (Figure 8). On average, one stop allowed for 1.4 customer service (B2B or B2C), but for routes from group A, this average was 1.81 customers from one stop, for routes from group B the average was 1.63 customer, while for routes from group A in group C, the proportion was 1.24.

In turn, when analyzing the reciprocal efficiency of work, i.e., the intensity of couriers’ work, treated as “the amount of work used to produce one unit of courier service (one package)”, it turned out that for route A-38 gross parcels, for route B-46 gross shipments and for route C-67 gross shipments. Additionally, the proportions of B2B vs. B2C definitely outweighed the former (Figure 9).

When analyzing the “intensity” of stops (and thus beneficial of stops), it turned out that on average there were 0.68 stops per customer (in B2B and B2C relationships). Detailed data, taking into account the types of routes, are presented in Figure 10).

Finally, when analyzing economics broken down into B2B and B2C customers (the former is high-margin) within the considered groups of routes A, B, and C, it turns out that shipments addressed to customers from the B2B group dominate in the classic “Paretto” relationship 80% compared to up to 20% for the B2C group (Figure 11). In the group of routes A, it was the relation of 60%:40%, in the group of routes B it was the relation of 94%:6%, and in group C it was the relation of 84%:16%.

Synthesizing the considerations resulting from the research carried out with the use of the experimental method, it can be concluded that in the efficiency and effectiveness assessment layer, the electric-powered rolling stock used in the delivery of courier parcels (CEP market) is in no way inferior to vehicles with traditional combustion engines. Thus, it allows us to perform exactly the same transport work and with exactly the same economic effect, which predisposes electric rolling stock to a full substitution of traditional rolling stock: (Stage 2—Full Substitution), especially in an urban agglomeration. However, additional significance is gained by other benefits obtained, i.e., ease of delivery, thanks to the use of preferences and bypassing restrictions (especially in city centers where the so-called clean transport zones are created), and above all, significantly lower costs of traveling 1 km of the route. This view is presented in Figure 12, containing the so-called “model of the octagon of benefits” of light commercial vehicles with electric drive divided into substitution (shared) benefits and extraordinary benefits.

In the group of “substitution benefits” resulting from the possibility of achieving them both by vehicles with traditional drive and electric drive (of course, not to the same degree), it turns out that efficiency in economic terms comes down to the lower cost of driving one kilometer of the route (this is including energy management, renewable energy, and benefits), effectiveness confirms the comparable range in the service of a single route, and intensity proves that the shorter service time of an electric vehicle significantly translates into the possibility of shortening the duration of the entire route (e.g., quick start after stopping the vehicle). Finally, productivity, which is directly dependent on the previous parameter, enables the same number of packages to be delivered in less time. On the other hand, in the group “extraordinary benefits”, resulting from the paradigm of prioritizing the electric drive in the city, indicates that the electric vehicle gains a strategic advantage in terms of reducing operating costs (unitary cost of 1 km), is characterized by higher technical readiness due to the simplified structure, and therefore faster repair and service (as well as additional advanced services), which increases its level of technical readiness. It is also characterized by ease of delivery, due to the preferences in the area of clear transport zones accessibility, and finally, environmentally friendly means that electric vehicles are city-friendly due to, inter alia, no exhaust gas emission, lower noise emission, and full stakeholder acceptance).

5. Discussion

To sum up, it should be stated that the popularity of electric vehicles is clearly growing in the segment of urban freight transport. The logistics industry is intensively assessing their potential in city deliveries, and the trade, guided by the principles of sustainable development, is starting to reward such solutions. Automotive concerns respond to this trend by offering zero-emission delivery vehicles and trucks. From the point of view of logistics operators, the key issue in striving for full substitution of the fleet of vehicles is the economic dimension (an extraordinary benefit) regarding the operating costs (currently, the cost of driving 100 km in an electric car, depending on the tariff, ranges from 0.5 to PLN 2.0) and servicing costs (no oil changes, simplified engine design, lack of many systems-e.g., cooling system, exhaust system, clutch, starter and engine accessories (turbine). It is also worth pointing out that, therefore, the electric vehicle is out of service for a shorter period of time and can perform tasks more effectively within one record year [31].

The model of “Electromobility Octagon Profit” for light commercial vehicles with electric current drive proposed by the authors is a qualitative synthesis of empirical quantitative research. It is a result that brings about the aggregation of the achieved results and opens a broader field of future scientific discussion, due to the separation of the naturally recognized benefits of substitution (but considered in a comprehensive and original way: efficiency, effectiveness, intensity, and productivity) and the extraordinary effects of such substitution (in the form of obvious cost reduction (especially when it comes to external costs), but also non-obvious benefits in the form of technical readiness, ease of delivery, and environmentally friendly).

6. Conclusions

The conducted experimental research had mainly the features of applied research and the field dimension in the Szczecin Metropolitan Area. These concerned specific institutions (a leading courier company) and business situations (everyday B2B and B2C customer service). The presented research approach took into account both concern for the natural environment, the principles of sustainable development, and the occurrence of certain regularities, especially when converting a courier company’s rolling stock from traditional to electric drive (in two stages-complementary and substitute). The research strategy adopted in the article involved care for “methodological correctness”, supported by the “meaningfulness” of the research undertaken, as well as ensuring “consistency with observation”. In addition to obtaining clear answers to the three research questions, the considerations were firmly rooted in both the economic approach, emphasizing the technical and economic approach (efficiency), and management science, emphasizing the praxeological approach (efficaciousness). Basing these studies on an experimental method using three electric vehicles, i.e., Nissan e-NV200 40 kWh, Nissan e-NV200 24 kWh, and Renault Kangoo Z.E. 33 kWh made perfect sense as these vehicles ranked first two in Europe in terms of cargo volume in the electric van segment in the RF2016 ranking, but it was the Nissan model that was the most popular delivery vehicle in Europe [32,33]. The conducted research allowed us to identify the benefits that can be obtained from the process of full replacement of the vehicle drive for a fully sustainable UFT in economic, social, and environmental terms by using the experimental method. The architecture of such experiments for 22 selected routes was also presented, which allowed the calculation of selected performance indicators for ex-ante evaluation in the planned implementation scenarios. A participatory approach was adopted in the completed research process, by tracking in real conditions selected real routes served by couriers using electric delivery vehicles, which concerned two stages of research, i.e., the first stage of research (11–27 March 2019) and the second stage of research (17 September–2 October 2020). The key advantage of such a research approach was the full reflection of reality (physically overcoming routes in the deliveries of courier items to recipients in two groups, i.e., B2B and B2C. Observations based on such elements as the environment and properly identified in the delivery process were used to assess the possibility and level of substitutability. Observations based on such elements as the environment and regularities identified in the delivery process were used to assess the possibility and level of substitutability. The article, in addition to experiments on selected routes, also included calculations of efficiency indicators for the assessment of delivery scenarios. The results show whether it is possible to completely replace diesel delivery vans with electric delivery vans. For full substitution, the only limitation is the cubic capacity of the loading box, which forces the “pre-selection” of parcels or the implementation of “supplementary” deliveries. Undoubtedly, for a wide range of urban stakeholders (including business stakeholders), a crucial advantage of electric drive in terms of corporate social responsibility is a significant reduction in noise outside, which is particularly important for shaping the image of transport (in this case, courier services) and quality of life (for city residents), thanks to which each metropolis becomes a friendly public space. Benefits embodied by a reduction of negative impacts on the urban environment make alternative drive vehicles increasingly attractive, all the more that their operational parameters make it already possible to use them effectively [14].

This is especially important in the context of the so-called “Last Mile” [34]. In addition, this research direction should be constantly expanded, as in accordance with the wording of the report entitled “Electromobility in Poland. Development prospects, opportunities, and threats, of the TOR Economic Advisors Team” it should be assessed that “the issue of popularizing electromobility in this area (delivery vans, couriers, etc.) is underestimated in both publications and government documents, therefore becoming highly relevant” [35]. Through the obtained results and their in-depth analysis, the benefits resulting from the full possibility of replacing the vehicle in sustainable urban freight transport (UFT) were experimentally determined. Thus, the adopted assumptions that electric delivery vehicles (EFV) can well replace service transport (courier shipments) so far powered by a diesel engine in Szczecin (Szczecin Urban Agglomeration) have been fully confirmed.