DHL Names Last-Mile Mobility Startup as Sustainability Challenge Winner

DHL has named TUX mobility the winner of its latest Fast Forward Challenge. Headquartered in the Netherlands and producing in India, TUX mobility is a developer of the world's first solar-powered, light electric cargo vehicle that charges itself while driving. The latest edition of DHL Fast Forward Challenge: Sustainable Solutions was held recently in Singapore at the DHL Era of Sustainable Logistics Asia Pacific Chapter. The Challenge aims to identify the most promising innovator that provides viable, sustainable solutions that could enhance the logistics and supply chain industry. TUX mobility brings a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for last-mile delivery targeting the Asian market.

With the ongoing growth of e-commerce and on-demand delivery services, alternative options to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles are crucial to reducing carbon emissions for last-mile delivery. TUX mobility’s solution effectively meets this demand for electric and alternative low-carbon delivery vehicles.

“A sustainable economy needs sustainable logistics. The latest Fast Forward Challenge aims to connect innovative startups offering viable, sustainable solutions for logistics and supply chains with DHL,” said Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer at DHL and Head of Customer Solutions & Innovation. “We saw many great ideas, such as those from the finalists: TUX mobility, Planet Protector and BANF. Planet Protector uses sheep wool to replace polystyrene for insulation. BANF is an Internet of Things start-up using tire sensors to reduce fuel consumption, increase tire lifespan, and enhance safety for vehicles. We look forward to working with all finalists, together with our customers and partners, to help scale and implement some of these solutions in Asia Pacific to materialize the environmental impact.”

TUX mobility pitting themselves against two other finalists at the Fast Forward Challenge

The latest edition of the Fast Forward Challenge saw businesses, start-ups, and innovators worldwide submit their ideas and solutions to address sustainability challenges in logistics. Among the submissions received, 28% sought to make packaging and containers more sustainable, 22% wanted to improve the carbon footprint of transport services, and 15% aimed to tackle sustainability in the built environment. The rest pursued various topics such as creating new sustainable business models and circular economy practices.

TUX mobility's victory in the Fast Forward Challenge allows them to start a joint pilot project with DHL in the Asia Pacific region. They will also receive expert support from the DHL innovation team to further develop and implement their solar-powered cargo vehicle on a larger scale.

“We are so happy to have won this Fast Forward Challenge. This gives us a lot of confidence to proceed on the path that we have chosen. Together with DHL, we will push solar mobility and aim to transform global logistics, decrease carbon emissions, and do more to reduce the impact of climate change,” Laurens Janssen, co-founder at TUX mobility B.V.

With innovation and sustainability deeply embedded in its culture, DHL has driven various initiatives like the Fast Forward Challenge and the DHL Era of Sustainable Logistics to focus on the development of sustainable logistics solutions. DHL believes in joining forces with different partners and providers to further foster collaboration, realize the concepts and accelerate the transition towards a lower carbon emissions logistics landscape.