​Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery In Dense Metros

Delivery Service

If you make regular deliveries into midtown from Hunts Point or Red Hook, we have an alternative. Last-mile logistics providers Net Zero Logistics and U.S. Coastal Service are partnering with Empire Clean Cities to offer a waterborne freight + electric cargo quad service for last-mile delivery in congested areas. Freight will arrive by ferry at E. 34th Street and Pier 16 in Manhattan and be transferred to Fulpra Quatros for final delivery — bypassing traffic and congestion entirely.

Here's how it will works:

• Freight is transported by ferry and received at the E. 34th Street and Pier 16 ferry terminals
• ​​From there, Fulpra Quatros handle last-mile delivery ​​

​For more information, email [email protected] or sign up for a one-on-one meeting with our team at this link Calendly.

​Project Overview

Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery in Dense Metros is deploying and demonstrating sustainable methods of last-mile delivery using electric heavy-duty, automotive grade Fulpra Quatro bikes, paired with maritime middle-mile transportation, to create a model that can be scaled throughout New York City and replicated in other large cities to reduce traffic emissions and congestion caused by dramatic increases in last-mile delivery and e-commerce.

• Phase one of the pilot launched May 23, 2025 replacing delivery trucks on a route between Brooklyn and Governors Island. 
• Phase two launched with a demonstration in July, 2026 making deliveries into Midtown, Manhattan from Hunts Point, Bronx.  Additional demonstrations and a regular service to Lower Manhattan, Governors Island and Brooklyn are forthcoming.
• Phase three, planned for Spring, 2027, will share data and lessons learned to scale and replicate this model for last-mile delivery throughout NYC and other dense metros.

​Project Goals

Develop Sustainable Delivery Model: The project is deploying new electric cargo bike technology in New York City to demonstrate how leading last-mile delivery companies can adopt this mode of transport to develop a safe, reliable, cost effective, and sustainable delivery model for beverages, produce, and other types of heavy cargo in highly congested urban areas. 

Reduce Truck Trips and Vehicle Miles Traveled: Replacing trucks with electric cargo bikes on delivery routes will directly offset truck miles traveled and achieve last-mile decarbonization. The project seeks to mature the operations and business model to demonstrate that electric cargo bikes paired with middle-mile maritime solutions can replace existing truck trips to Manhattan and Governors Island and deliver similar results for other leading last-mile delivery companies operating throughout New York City.

Create Jobs in Environmental Justice Communities: The project seeks to demonstrate that electric cargo bikes can create a new category of delivery and logistics jobs. Jobs will be created for delivery drivers and maintenance technicians, with a focus on providing pathways to skilled employment opportunities for residents of waterfront Environmental Justice communities. Additionally, the project will develop a comprehensive curriculum to train individuals in the use and maintenance of electric cargo bikes.

Reduce Environmental Impact: The project will mitigate carbon impacts per delivery unit, reduce vehicular traffic, and minimize local congestion and emissions in a commercially viable manner. The pilot will catalyze a modal shift away from trucks to waterborne freight paired with electric cargo bikes, reducing truck congestion impacts and curbing particulate matter (PM 2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx), and ground-level ozone levels in Environmental Justice communities.

Spring 2024: Pilot delivery to Governors Island with simulated cargo.

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Winter 2024: Test-run with 800 lbs of cargo at the Manhattan Beer Distributors depot in the Bronx.

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Project Team

Partners

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Award Number DE-EE0011134.