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PurposeTo assess the introduction and performance of light electric freight vehicles (LEFVs), more specifically cargo cycles in major 3PL organizations in at least two Nordic countries.Design/methodology/approachCase studies. Interviews. Company data on performance before as well as after the introduction. Study of differing business models as well as operational setups.FindingsThe results from the studied cases show that LEFVs can compete with conventional vans in last mile delivery operations of e-commerce parcels. We account for when this might be the case, during which circumstances and why.Research limitations/implicationsInherent limitations of the case study approach, specifically on generalization. Future research to include more public–private partnership and multi-actor approach for scalability.Practical implicationsAdding to knowledge on the public sector facilitation necessary to succeed with implementation and identifying cases in which LEFVs might offer efficiency gains over more traditional delivery vehicles.Originality/valueOne novelty is the access to detailed data from before the implementation of new vehicles and the data after the implementation. A fair comparison is made possible by the operational structure, area of delivery, number of customers, customer density, type of packages, and to some extent, the number of packages being quite similar. Additionally, we provide data showing how city hubs can allow cargo cycles to work synergistically with delivery vans. This is valuable information for organizations thinking of trying LEFVs in operations as well as municipalities/local authorities that are interested.

International audience ; The paper focuses on implementation of several different concepts of wise analysis of light electric vehicle propulsion unit testing facility. Firstly, the concept of "digital twin" that represents a simulated replica of a complete testing facility is presented. More, instead of using an off-line simulation environment, the digital twin (DT) is programmed to run using two field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), hence it becomes an online real-time simulation. The second concept is the distribution of the digital twin. The actual unit controller is programed into one FPGA and the machine under test, its load and the power inverter are implemented into a second FPGA. The communication between the two is handled using analog and digital lines, just like the controller would be connected to the real test-bench. The third concept involves the organization of each of the two FPGA programs, based on Energetic Macroscopic Representation (EMR) that facilitates transparency, ease of implementation and minimizes the error in coding the actual test-bench replica and then its controller. Combining all the above mentioned concept into one single lucrative tool, experimentally validated by actual measurements, proves that the concept of using a DT implemented in real-time, without doubt can be used for testing prototypes and their controls regardless of the actual test-bench. Hence, on one hand it is eco-friendly, precise and save testing method and on the other hand, the same DT can be used by researchers and testers in facilities that do not have a test-bench at their disposal.

International audience ; The paper focuses on implementation of several different concepts of wise analysis of light electric vehicle propulsion unit testing facility. Firstly, the concept of "digital twin" that represents a simulated replica of a complete testing facility is presented. More, instead of using an off-line simulation environment, the digital twin (DT) is programmed to run using two field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), hence it becomes an online real-time simulation. The second concept is the distribution of the digital twin. The actual unit controller is programed into one FPGA and the machine under test, its load and the power inverter are implemented into a second FPGA. The communication between the two is handled using analog and digital lines, just like the controller would be connected to the real test-bench. The third concept involves the organization of each of the two FPGA programs, based on Energetic Macroscopic Representation (EMR) that facilitates transparency, ease of implementation and minimizes the error in coding the actual test-bench replica and then its controller. Combining all the above mentioned concept into one single lucrative tool, experimentally validated by actual measurements, proves that the concept of using a DT implemented in real-time, without doubt can be used for testing prototypes and their controls regardless of the actual test-bench. Hence, on one hand it is eco-friendly, precise and save testing method and on the other hand, the same DT can be used by researchers and testers in facilities that do not have a test-bench at their disposal.

Around 99 per cent of vehicles running on India's roads are powered by internal combustion engines running on fossil fuels (petrol, diesel, and some CNG). The passenger car is still a largely aspirational product for around one hundred million newly middle-class Indians (20 million families). Given the current, still very low per capita car ownership in India of 22 per 1,000 citizens, compared to 980 in the US and 850 in the UK, it is an opportune time for India to embrace alternative sustainable mobility solutions for a green and prosperous future. This can only succeed if accessible and affordable solutions are available in adequate numbers. Also, given the segmented nature of the market and the different dynamics within each segment, government support could be better targeted. This effort has already started with the proposed interoperable and standardized light-vehicle battery, to promote greater affordability in the battery-swapping segment. Also, government incentives for increased localization of battery assembly, and eventually cell manufacturing, as well as continued public support for R&D to explore alternative battery chemistries, will all help to reduce costs. The real challenge for India lies in E2Ws and E3Ws, used by nearly 1 billion people in the country every day. Converting these vehicles to electric, making them affordable and convenient, and doing what it takes to turn E2Ws and E3Ws into the first preference over ICE vehicles when making a purchase decision, is what India should be supported and measured on. In India, the adoption of e-mobility through the individual purchase of EVs is not likely to happen very fast in the mass segment of the market, (180 million families or 900 million people) even for 2Ws with leased batteries, selling at a price point today of under $1,000. It is likely to require a few more years until battery prices come down to around half of what they are today. The important lesson for EV market players in India is that the cash flow patterns of the mass market ...

Abstract
In the 1970s, energy conservation was a household idea, but it was also a form of labor discipline. This article shows how one utility, the Pennsylvania Power & Light Company (PP&L), used energy conservation to discipline unwaged workers in the home, upending decades of home economics research that sought to substitute electric energy for human energy in housework. To effectively deploy this strategy, PP&L drew on utilities' well-established understanding of women's unwaged work in the home as central to balancing the rhythms of power demand. By exploring this history, this article also argues that by adopting a more expansive understanding of labor in energy systems—which I term "energy work"—we can better understand the interrelationship of labor, gender, and power in the operation of energy systems and more fully incorporate the history of unwaged workers into the history of energy.

This article reconstructs the visual culture of politics in Edwardian London through a study of the 1907 London County Council election. It moves beyond the memorable account given in Graham Wallas's Human Nature in Politics to examine the actors, especially associations and newspapers, that participated in the election. Drawing upon 'local' and 'national' newspapers, election addresses, cartoon, leaflets and posters, the essay assesses continuity and change, 'tradition' and 'modernity' in the visual practices of London politics.

The car is still the most common mode of transport in Western countries, particularly so across the European Union, as it accounts for about two-thirds of daily commuting. So far, measures aiming to reduce automobile traffic and incentives for the modal shift to public transport and non-polluting methods of travel (walking, cycling, etc.) have had little effect. Moreover, the car lies at the core of a very complex system that has proven to be difficult to unlock. In light of these challenges, using new types of engine power may appear to be a solution. Electric vehicles have the potential to improve the efficiency, affordability, and sustainability of the transport system. However, there remains much uncertainty as to how such a transition from one type of engine to another may unfold, and where it could take place within the European context. In June 2017, the H2020 project SHAPE-ENERGY launched an online debate on the Debating Europe platform with the question: &ldquo ; Should all cars be electric by 2025?&rdquo ; . The aim of the debate was to elicit citizens views on whether the goal could be reached, how and with which consequences. The diversity of the vantage points that have appeared in the subsequent discussion generated by the strands of debate allows us to bring into discussion the viewpoints and arguments that are not often addressed in the literature on the adoption of electric cars in a comprehensive way. The article sheds light on those debates across Europe, in order to bring new insights to European policymakers that are seeking to promote the market for electric vehicles. It also broadens the scope and offers important contributions to scholarly debates on the diffusion and adoption of such vehicles.