by Glenn Meyers

The company is called Cargohopper and it has provided a very appealing solution for a Dutch city suffering traffic congestion caused from too many delivery vehicles in too dense a space. Add too that this city, like many other dense urban areas in the world, suffers the ill effects of abundant diesel pollution said delivery trucks leave in their wake.

The Cargohopper solution for congestion from too many urban delivery trucks on the narrow streets of Utrect, the Netherlands? Store all goods scheduled for delivery in a warehouse outside the city, and then deliver them using modular rolling boxes that connect to a solar-powered caravan. This urban delivery system has succeeded in eliminating diesel pollution while easing congestion at the same time.

Cargohopper allows companies to leave their goods at a warehouse six miles outside city limits, and have them delivered using a 52-foot, solar-powered caravan of three boxes pulled by a cab not much bigger than a golf cart. Backers of the project say Cargohopper is better suited to Utrecht’s narrow, cobbled streets than conventional light vans.

Utrecht-based Hoek Transport, the company behind this delivery system, says it saves 5,200 gallons of diesel and 33 tons of CO2 annually by taking other vehicles off the streets.

In addition, Cargohopper participates in recycling by taking back cardboard and paper on its return journeys. Hoek says, since the system began in April 2009, Cargohopper has delivered 102,500 packages and covered 12,375 miles. Effectively, the cab-and-trailer does the job of five vans, making three trips daily.

According to Fast Company, the success of Cargohopper has attracted other cities are now looking to invest in similar ideas. Hoek says Amsterdam is about to start running three Cargohopper operations, and Haarlem, to the west, will initiate another one.

Cargohopper tows 3 metric tons using a 48-Volt 28-hp electric engine. Its max speed is listed as 20 kilometers an hour (14.53 mph) – plenty for driving tight cities. The service is said to do the work of 5 to 8 regular European vans and operates as a complete logistic system. Boxes are pre-loaded outside the city in the Cargohopper distribution center and towed to the boarder of the inner city using a regular truck with faster speeds. Once empty, it collects dry carton, paper and empty packaging from shops for recycling so it never runs empty.

The overall pace and efficiency of this system sound remarkably appealing.