DHL, VW launch Berlin pilot for in-car deliveries

While people themselves may be hard to track down sometimes, DHL Parcel figured that cars will always be easy to track. That’s one reason why to the express giant has expanded its Berlin-based delivery program that allows customers to use vehicle trunks as mobile addresses for delivery of DHL parcels.

German car manufacturer Volkswagen, which is a partner in the DHL pilot, is taking applications from customers interested in participating. Applicants must be at least 21, have a driver’s license, live in Berlin and be frequent online shoppers. Selected participants will receive a VW Polo automobile for four weeks to test the service.

During the pilot, which is scheduled to run from this month through April 2018, Volkswagen will deploy 50 of its VW Polos to DHL customers selected for the program. Volkswagen has already installed necessary equipment for in-car delivery in the VW Polos, which, when paired with the DHL Delivery app, will grant DHL couriers delivery access to the vehicle’s trunk via a single-use code during a selected two-hour time slot. Couriers will receive GPS coordinates for the VW Polos for deliveries and returns managed through the app. DHL Parcel launched its in-car delivery program with Smart cars in Stuttgart during September 2016, and currently offers Smart car delivery in Stuttgart, Cologne, Bonn and Berlin.

“Our partnership allows us to offer this attractive service to an even broader target group,” said DHL Parcel CEO Achim Dünnwald.

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