Urban Deliveries Case Studies Combined 2025

Transitioning the fleet and installing chargers By 2024, Posten Bring’s electric fleet included 1,577 vans and 139 electric or biogas trucks. Rather than a uniform rollout, the company adapts its strategy to each operational context: –At Logistikksenter Oslo (LSO), a high-density urban depot, 161 electric vehicles handle last-mile distribution under fast turnaround conditions. –At Østlandsterminalen (OT), the fleet includes 26 electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) operating longer intercity routes on tighter energy margins. To charge the fleets, Posten Bring uses mixed technology: slower Alternating Current (AC) charging for overnight and between-shift periods, and faster Direct Current (DC) charging for rapid turnaround during peak operations. During the pilot phases, at LSO, over 160 charging points supported 161 vehicles with slight overcapacity for operational flexibility. At OT, 26 heavy trucks relied entirely on high-power Direct Current (DC) fast charging.56 Smart load management The core innovation is intelligent software that manages energy distribution across all charging points.57 Instead of first-come, first-served charging that can strain the grid, the system uses dynamic allocation based on vehicle battery levels, departure times, route requirements and grid constraints. Posten Bring installed ZeroCarbon Charge, a smart energy management system developed by Hitachi ZeroCarbon, which supports the following functions: Dynamic load balancing Distributes energy across chargers based on SOC, departure times, route needs and grid limits. Tariff optimization Shifts charging to off-peak hours, reducing energy costs (up to 10%). Solar integration Prioritizes charging during peak renewable generation. Real-time operational monitoring With thousands of vehicle trips per day, Posten Bring needed visibility. Fleet Telematics (e.g. GPS, energy data) at both LSO and OT monitors Vehicle State of Charge (SOC), charger status and usage and route- level energy performance. These controls underpin Posten Bring’s ability to run two daily shifts with electric HGVs, an uncommon outcome given Norway’s cold climate conditions. Fault detection and reprioritization Quickly addresses failures to maintain service. Performance benchmarking Seasonal data informs improvements to charging and routes. Telematics visibility Tracks SOC, charger status and route-level energy use.Interoperability across vehicle and charging systems Smart software alone is not enough when the hardware ecosystem is fragmented. Posten Bring’s fleet includes vehicles from Volvo, Mercedes and Scania, and chargers from multiple manufacturers such as Kempower and Star Charge. In theory, standards like OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) should ensure compatibility, but in practice, they do not. To address this, Hitachi ZeroCarbon: Vehicle–charger compatibility testing Validates performance across brands at LSO and OT. Hardware-agnostic back-end Developed hardware-agnostic backend systems to support legacy and new equipment. Shared infrastructure Opens depots to third-party carriers to scale decarbonisation. Ensuring operational continuity in cold climates Even with the grid and hardware under control, Norway’s winters required adaptation of Posten Bring‘s operations using real-time monitoring and software logic to maintain reliability in cold weather. SOC-based charging priority Ensures low-charge vehicles are topped up first. Battery pre-conditioning Heats batteries and cabins while plugged in to preserve range. Live route adjustment Identifies underperforming vehicles and adjusts plans dynamically.