The Cargo hopper can be briefly described as a delivery service powered by solar energy. It’s an electrically powered little train fitted with car wheels which is being used in Utrecht’s city centre to take stock deliveries to shops. For the last few weeks, it’s also been fitted with solar panels which recharge its batteries. This means it produces all the power it needs itself – a global first.

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The problems found in Utrecht city centre are common to all old cities. The small, winding streets were not built with modern traffic in mind. A lorry can often completely block the road while it’s unloading. Residents are also no longer prepared to accept the noise and diesel fumes, to say nothing of concerns about all those CO2 emissions caused by lorries and vans constantly stopping and starting. Quite often, just a small package is being delivered.

Solar panels
A delivery service, which drives from a pick-up point on the outskirts to the city centre with all those small packages and deliveries, saves all the emissions and nuisance. If it’s solar powered, it’s all the better and cleaner. The Cargohopper goes one further and even produces its own power from solar panels on its three wagons. Spokesman Bert Roozendaal:

“The fact that the mini-train is 16 metres long means we have loads of roof space, so we decided to put solar panels on top. We now have six large panels attached, about nine square metres in total. It doesn’t sound a lot, but it’s parked outside and doesn’t work at the weekend so it’s charging up all the time. After the weekend, the batteries are completely full.”

It looks quite odd: a bright red plastic engine in front of three narrow wagons on little wheels. It’s an impressive 16 metres long, but only 1.20 metres wide, making it really suitable for the little streets alongside Utrecht’s narrow canals. It’s also easy for other traffic to get past.

Throughout the world
The idea could be used throughout the world. The Cargo hopper is ideal for urban mazes like Bogotà because its separate little wagons could weave in and out of the city’s thousands of street traders. Sunny Tokyo would ensure that it could run with fewer solar panels making it cheaper. Another plus is that all the components are readily available: the engine, wagons, solar panels can all be bought on the open market. This means the idea can easily be adapted where necessary. Driver Mike says it’s a fun thing on the road:

“It’s already charged by the solar panels, so you’ve got nothing to do but drive. I can get everywhere and, because it’s so narrow, all the other traffic can get past easily. That’s what I like about the Cargo hopper; it’s so easy to manoeuvre in all sorts of streets, yes that’s it…”

Conservatism
The only problem confronting solar-powered local deliveries seems to be the conservatism of hauliers who don’t want to transfer their loads outside the city centre, preferring to go door to door with their deliveries. As Mr Roozendaal puts it: “It’s difficult to get the message across that bringing a van into town to deliver one small package is just not acceptable any more. We can now show them a viable alternative.”

RNW translation (mw)