Mixed Electric Vehicles and UAVs for Last-Mile Delivery Under Ecological Objective

The article introduces the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Drones (EVRPD), an innovative approach to optimizing last-mile delivery by integrating Electric Vehicles (EVs) with drones. The main goal is to minimize energy consumption and CO2 emissions while ensuring efficient delivery operations. This solution utilizes a mixed fleet of EVs as mother ships and drones for the final parcel delivery. EVs and drones are both capable of delivering parcels, with drones deployed for smaller and more urgent deliveries. The system focuses on optimizing the payload distribution to maximize energy efficiency and drone autonomy. Drones are replenished on the rooftops of EVs using IoT technology. To solve the routing problem, this solution employs bio-inspired algorithms such as Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) for EVs and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for drones. This approach maximizes energy efficiency and drone autonomy while ensuring efficient parcel distribution. By integrating these innovative techniques, EVRPD offers promising prospects for a more sustainable and efficient urban logistics system.