Name: 是時候更換城市配送車了 (It's time to replace urban delivery vans)
Uploaded: 2025-06-18T17:07:09.000Z
Duration: 6 min 20 s

All of a sudden, all over Europe, it seems like they're everywhere.

突然間，在整個歐洲，它們似乎無處不在。

分詞構句

Cargo bikes, delivering mail in Germany, Amazon packages in the UK, picking up food waste in Paris, and sperm donations in Copenhagen.

貨運自行車在德國運送郵件，在英國運送亞馬遜包裹，在巴黎撿拾廚餘垃圾，在哥本哈根捐獻精子。

Yep, that's a custom-built liquid nitrogen tank shaped like a human sperm.

沒錯，這是一個定製的液氮罐，形狀就像人類的精子。

In the U.S., whether you order a giant flat-screen TV or a week's worth of groceries, it's likely to show up at your doorstep via one of these.

在美國，無論您訂購的是巨型平板電視還是一週的食品雜貨，都有可能通過其中一種方式送到您的家門口。

A delivery truck or van with a big, powerful engine.

裝有大功率發動機的運貨卡車或貨車。

They get the job done, but they also emit lots of carbon, take up lots of room, and kill and injure lots of people.

它們能完成工作，但也會排放大量碳，佔用大量空間，造成大量人員傷亡。

And that's why cities and companies around the world are starting to replace some of those big vans with electric-assist cargo bikes.

這就是為什麼世界各地的城市和公司開始用電動助力貨運自行車取代一些大型貨車的原因。

But in the U.S., aside from test runs from a couple companies like Domino's Pizza and small pilot projects in a handful of cities, they haven't really caught on.

但在美國，除了多米諾比薩等幾家公司的試運行和少數城市的小規模試點項目外，它們還沒有真正流行起來。

Why are we in the U.S. so wedded to this one tool for delivery?

為什麼我們美國人如此執著於這一種投遞工具？

Even before the pandemic, online shopping was already growing as a share of total retail sales worldwide.

甚至在大流行病發生之前，網上購物在全球零售總額中所佔的份額就已經開始增長。

And for many of us, the pandemic habit hasn't faded away, even as stores have reopened.

對我們中的許多人來說，即使商店重新開張，大流行病的習慣也沒有消失。

Commercial vehicles account for about 19% of the overall miles driven in London, but they emit 30% of the city's transport-related CO2.

商用車輛的行駛里程約佔倫敦總行駛里程的 19%，但其排放的二氧化碳卻佔倫敦交通相關排放總量的 30%。

That disproportionate impact extends beyond pollution.

這種不成比例的影響不僅限於汙染。

They deliver everywhere, from narrow one-way streets to super-busy intersections, causing massive traffic problems.

從狹窄的單行道到超級繁忙的十字路口，到處都有它們的身影，造成了巨大的交通問題。

And between 2018 and 2020, delivery trucks in London were involved in a shocking 41% of fatal cyclist crashes and 19% of pedestrian deaths.

而在 2018 年至 2020 年期間，倫敦的送貨卡車涉及了 41% 的致命自行車碰撞事故和 19% 的行人死亡事故，令人震驚。

A 2016 study found that large trucks made up only 3.6% of vehicles in New York City, but are responsible for 32% of bicyclist fatalities and 12% of pedestrian fatalities.

2016 年的一項研究發現，大型卡車僅佔紐約市車輛的 3.6%，但卻造成了 32% 的自行車死亡事故和 12% 的行人死亡事故。

So let's back up and take a bird's eye view of the whole delivery process.

讓我們倒回去，鳥瞰一下整個交貨過程。

You can break down urban delivery into two phases.

Phase one, my iPhone cover might travel from a factory to a hub, before the long freight journey via airplane, cargo ship, or long-haul truck to a warehouse, just outside the city where I live.

在第一階段，我的 iPhone 套可能會從工廠運到集散中心，然後再通過飛機、貨輪或長途卡車長途運輸到我居住的城市外的倉庫。

It's often called the last mile, though the journey is usually much longer.

這通常被稱為 "最後一英里"，儘管旅程通常要長得多。

That's when my package is loaded onto a delivery truck or van, which drives into the city and eventually stops in front of my house.

這時，我的包裹就會被裝上送貨卡車或貨車，駛入市區，最後停在我家門前。

This package might have traveled hundreds of miles to get here, but depending on where you live, this second phase accounts for 30 to 50% of its carbon footprint.

這個包裹可能是經過數百英里的長途跋涉才運到這裡的，但根據你居住的地方，這第二階段的碳足跡佔其碳足跡的 30% 到 50%。

And that's partly because the so-called last mile is really inefficient.

這部分是因為所謂的 "最後一英里 "效率實在太低。

One study in London found that only a small share of vans use more than three-quarters of their capacity.

倫敦的一項研究發現，只有一小部分貨車使用了超過四分之三的容量。

這就是電動自行車的用武之地。

Obviously, using bicycles to move goods and people through the city is not a new idea.

顯然，用自行車在城市中運送貨物和人員並不是一個新想法。

UPS actually got its start as a bike delivery service in Seattle, hauling everything from beer and medicine across the city.

實際上，UPS 在西雅圖是以自行車送貨服務起家的，在整個城市運送啤酒和藥品等各種物品。

Before city leaders remade the streets to prioritize private automobiles, cargo bikes and trikes like these shared the road with carriages and pedestrians.

在城市領導者改造街道以優先考慮私人汽車之前，像這樣的貨運自行車和三輪車與馬車和行人共用道路。

Today's cargo bikes can come equipped with a small electric motor that's activated when the pedals are in motion and powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

如今的貨運自行車可以配備一個小型電動機，當腳踏板運動時，電動機就會啟動，並由可充電的鋰離子電池供電。

That extra power is what allows electric cargo bikes like these ones in London to out-compete delivery vans.

正是這種額外的動力，使得像倫敦的這些電動貨運自行車的性能超過了送貨車。

In a 2021 study that compared those cargo bikes to delivery vans, the bikes obviously had to make more trips back and forth to the pickup point, but they still traveled roughly the same distance and less time than the vans, in part because they could park anywhere and use the bike lanes when the van sat in traffic.

2021 年的一項研究將這些貨運自行車與送貨麵包車進行了比較，結果顯示，自行車顯然需要往返取貨點更多的路程，但它們仍然比麵包車行駛了大致相同的距離和更少的時間，部分原因是當面包車堵在路上時，它們可以在任何地方停車並使用自行車道。

They dropped off more packages in the vans per hour, while emitting a fraction of the carbon.

他們每小時用麵包車投遞更多的包裹，而碳排放量僅為原來的一小部分。

Another study estimated that more than half of all urban trips related to the transport of goods could be done by cargo bike.

另一項研究估計，一半以上與貨物運輸有關的城市出行可以通過貨運自行車完成。

Those efficiencies have led to massive investments in Europe and the UK.

這些高效率促成了在歐洲和英國的大規模投資。

Thousands of bikes from companies like DHL, UPS and FedEx, as well as retailers like Amazon and Ikea.

來自 DHL、UPS 和 FedEx 等公司以及亞馬遜和宜家等零售商的數千輛自行車。

But in the U.S., DHL made headlines for doubling its cargo bike fleet in Miami from four bikes to eight.

但在美國，DHL 將其在邁阿密的貨運自行車車隊擴大了一倍，從四輛增加到八輛，成為頭條新聞。

New York City's cargo bike pilot featured just 350 bikes spread out among all these companies.

紐約市的貨運自行車試點只有 350 輛自行車，分佈在所有這些公司中。

So what's keeping them from going all in?

那麼，是什麼阻礙了他們全力以赴呢？

This map of Paris can help us understand why.

這幅巴黎地圖可以幫助我們瞭解其中的原因。

The city has specific rules about what kind of vehicles can drive within this area.

該市對哪些車輛可以在這一區域內行駛有具體規定。

Delivery trucks or vans made before 2011 are only allowed within the zone on weekends and after 8 p.m. on weekdays.

2011 年之前生產的送貨卡車或貨車只能在週末和工作日晚上 8 點之後進入該區域。

Those who break the rules are slapped with a fine.

By 2030, no diesel or gas-powered vehicles will be allowed in the zone.

到 2030 年，該區域內將禁止機油或汽油車輛通行。

These low-emission zones are all over Europe.

Brussels, Lisbon, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Oslo, Prague, Budapest.

布魯塞爾、里斯本、倫敦、阿姆斯特丹、柏林、維也納、羅馬、奧斯陸、布拉格和布達佩斯。

So for a freight operator doing business in Europe, it makes sense to make the switch from vans to cargo bikes.

是以，對於在歐洲開展業務的貨運公司來說，將貨車換成貨運自行車是明智之舉。

Especially since a lot of these cities also offer generous subsidies to businesses making the switch.

尤其是許多城市還為轉產企業提供了豐厚的補貼。

And they've invested millions in infrastructure like protected bike lanes to help keep cyclists safe.

此外，他們還投資數百萬美元建設保護性自行車道等基礎設施，以確保騎車人的安全。

As of fall 2023, the only zero-emission zone in the United States was a pilot project in Santa Monica that actually ended in 2022.

截至 2023 年秋，美國唯一的零排放區是聖莫尼卡的一個試點項目，該項目實際上已於 2022 年結束。

It was one square mile and it was voluntary, as in no fines for trucks that broke the rules.

它只有一平方英里，而且是自願的，因為對違反規定的卡車不罰款。

There's also the fact that interstate highways run right through a lot of American cities, unlike in Europe.

還有一個事實是，州際高速公路直接穿過美國的許多城市，這與歐洲不同。

And for freight companies looking to move goods quickly, vans on the highway seems like the obvious answer.

而對於希望快速運輸貨物的貨運公司來說，在高速公路上行駛的貨車似乎是不二之選。

Of course, switching those vans from gas to electric would definitely help reduce CO2 emissions.

當然，將這些貨車從燃氣改為電動肯定有助於減少二氧化碳排放。

But electric trucks and vans aren't any safer for the pedestrians and cyclists trying to share the road.

但是，電動卡車和貨車對於試圖共用道路的行人和騎自行車的人來說並不安全。

Between 2010 and 2021, pedestrian deaths in the U.S. rose 54%.

2010 年至 2021 年，美國行人死亡人數上升了 54%。

And experts blame a deadly combination of high speeds and bigger vehicles, which are more likely to cause fatal head and neck injuries.

專家們將此歸咎於高速和大型車輛的致命組合，因為大型車輛更容易造成致命的頭部和頸部傷害。

Without big changes like urban highway removal, zero-emission zones, and subsidies, U.S. cities will have a hard time getting companies to make the switch.

如果沒有城市高速路拆除、零排放區和補貼等大變革，美國城市將很難讓企業做出改變。

And we will miss out on the possibility of cleaner air, safer streets, and a more livable planet. you

我們將錯過更清潔的空氣、更安全的街道和更宜居的地球。