Newcastle firms aim to transform last-mile logistics in exciting new partnership

The last mile is typically defined as the movement of goods from a transport hub to their final destination – and is usually done using vans. When it comes to delivering goods to homes and businesses, this means that the last mile is expensive, inefficient and carbon intensive.

The Algorithm People and if.Vehicles have signed a partnership agreement to work together to reduce costs and carbon emissions from last-mile logistics. if.Vehicles is the developer of the world’s only dismountable and transformable zero emission vehicle platforms. The Algorithm People is a leader in optimisation software, which helps delivery companies to be as efficient as possible.

By bringing their technologies together, the two businesses aim to make switching to more efficient last-mile deliveries affordable and easy. In particular, they will enable mobile transient hubs – a new logistics solution where vans or light trucks become mobile hubs, meeting much smaller, electric vehicles on their routes to hand over parcels and goods for delivery. Furthermore, if.Vehicles will become a reseller of The Algorithm People’s route optimisation platform, My Transport Planner, and the two will collaborate on future R&D.

“Our partnership with if.Vehicles will enable couriers, logistics operators and home delivery companies to transition to mobile transient hubs,” said Colin Ferguson, CEO of The Algorithm People. “This will significantly reduce emissions from the last mile, while ensuring it remains affordable and convenient for customers.”

Based in Newcastle, The Algorithm People is an award-winning developer of route optimisation solutions for businesses of all sizes. In April 2021 it was named in the UK’s top 40 of the Top 200 Female-Powered Businesses by JP Morgan.

Also based in Newcastle, if.Vehicles has a unique transformable vehicle platform for last-mile delivery. The if.Micro can be driven on roads as a light-quadricycle, or operated on pavements as a power-assisted trolley. The vehicle transforms further for transport and storage and is designed to switch seamlessly between the different modes of operation making deliveries cleaner and more efficient.

“As consumers and businesses increasingly shift to online shopping, reducing emissions from last-mile logistics is going to be even more critical to the UK meeting its climate change goals,” added Bill Clare, CEO for if.Vehicles. “Working with The Algorithm People we can offer the complete package for the last-mile that not only reduces emissions but increases capacity of the whole fleet – innovative, battery-powered vehicles, novel fleet integration methods and the software to optimise their use.”