This year, the Japanese logistics provider Yamato is celebrating a hefty company milestone, its 100-year anniversary. And, as the number one provider on Japan’s domestic parcel market and to cope with the rapidly growing e-commerce market, Yamato has been reforming its services and network to meet the changing needs of customers.
In its centennial year, the company ordered 500 electric light utility vehicles from StreetScooter, a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group, to offer more environmentally friendly service and a better working environment so as to facilitate its reform.
As part of the close development partnership between the two companies, the electric vehicles have been modified to meet both Japanese standards and the specific needs of Yamato. That means these “Made in Germany” e-transporters will be sporting a steering wheel on the right. Delivery is scheduled for operation during fiscal year 2019.
Yutaka Nagao, Representative Director, President and Executive Officer of Yamato Transport: “While restructuring a sustainable last mile delivery network for TA-Q-BIN, it has been a big challenge for us to develop new delivery vehicles with the consideration of our employee’s point of view. This encounter with StreetScooter is truly exciting to us, and we’re looking forward to our first step towards a resolution through joint development.”
The order is good news to Achim Kampker, the CEO of StreetScooter. “We’re truly thrilled that Yamato has chosen our electric vehicles,” Kampker said. “It’s fresh validation that our vision of building customized, industry-specific vehicles is blossoming, this time on an international scale. The strategic cooperation with Yamato is thus an important step on the road to tapping the Japanese market for electric light utility vehicles.”
Yamato has ordered 500 Work Pure. This model is StreetScooter at its most basic since the variant has no truck body. Truck bodies will be assembled and installed on Work Pure chassis by the Japanese company Toprec, and will also be suitable for cold-chain applications. Maintenance and repair will be performed by the Yamato Transport’s group company, Yamato Autoworks, which is responsible for the group’s delivery fleet and also functions as a fleet services provider for third parties.
Yamato Transport is the leading logistics company in Japan and number one on the domestic parcel market. In fiscal year 2018, the company transported some 1.8 billion items. With the help of Yamato’s “TA-Q-BIN” service, customers can send parcels, merchandise (even cold-chain items) as well as bulky goods and luggage to nearly any address in Japan, including hotels and airports. In addition to last-mile delivery, the Yamato Group also offers a range of commercial options: Logistics services for major customers (BIZ logistics), appliance installation and moves (home convenience) as well as IT solutions (e-business), financial services (financial) and vehicle services (Autoworks). Yamato is the official logistics partner of the Olympic Games and the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020.
