In conjunction with the second FIA Formula E racing championship that reached its climax on Sunday, July 3rd in London, DHL, the world’s leading logistics provider and Official Logistics Partner of Formula E, has organized the Innovation Summit “Capturing Lifestyles Changes and Delivering”. The summit has been organized as part of the business platform eStory, which was established in 2015 with the aim of boosting mass market adoption of sustainable mobility solutions. Participants on the panel from organizations such as DHL, Formula E, Michelin, Qualcomm, and virtual reality (VR) agency Big Bad Wolf presented trends influencing their market and the respective smart business practices.  

The event at the FIA Formula E Visa London ePrix Media Center offered a taste of what to expect from the 14 eStory partners* during Season 3, which starts in September 2016. As industry leaders, the eStory partners acknowledge the impact of the increasing speed of innovation and fast-changing lifestyles. DHL, for instance, presented a collaborative project between Volvo Buses and DHL Express. In the context of Volvo’s new network of electric hybrid buses in major global cities, DHL and Volvo started to review the concept of bus stations and routes and came up with a convenient integrated delivery option involving the DHL SwipBox. Selected bus stops throughout Sweden along the electric hybrid bus routes are equipped with these secure delivery locations, which offer customers of online retailers a convenient option for picking up their orders. Here the addition of new support services at bus stops facilitates carbon-free mobility of people and goods against the background of increasing urbanization and the rise of e-commerce.

Other solutions presented by Big Bad Wolf include virtual reality (VR) experience showcasing how the technology can be used for events in motorsports, as well as other industries including retail and entertainment. By offering spectators a new level of interaction with content and brands, the company intends to integrate innovative ways of purchase and delivery for various applications. In addition, Formula E displayed smart approaches to interacting with fans and conveying messages around sustainable mobility. Fan boost has already gained recognition for successfully engaging people, and now Formula E is pioneering virtual racing games with drivers. .

“With the final race of the Season 2 just days ago, it is fair to say that Formula E has become a major actor in shaping sustainable mobility,” explained Alejandro Agag, CEO Formula E. “eStory, launched by 14 pioneers of the Formula E Championship, extends the reach of the championship by acting as a laboratory for B2B developments. We are happy to have given the mandate for leading the eStory to DHL since they have proven to be a leader in sustainable mobility.”

A study released in 2015, “The eStory: Undertaking the Mobility Challenge”, with contributions of the 14 partner companies covers mobility innovations, green technology solutions and community initiatives which are expected to have a positive effect on the consumer market and society in the coming years. Since then, the study has become a dynamic tool – to be updated on an annual basis – for connecting people and fostering dialogue on sustainable mobility.  

“We recognize the need to capture lifestyle changes and adapt logistics operations to be able to even better serve customers in the future – and so do we in different manners and all around the globe. For DHL, Formula E is an interesting unifying platform for players of the various industries to explore and innovate. This Innovation Summit, as part of the eStory, will be rolled out in different cities to raise awareness for sustainable mobility solutions,” said Manoëlla Wilbaut, eStory Leader, author of the study and Head of Global Commercial Developments & Sustainability at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation. 

As a continuation of the partners’ efforts to make the eStory accessible and available to the public, an eStory film was officially presented during the Innovation Summit. It gives an insight on how the three activation pillars of mobility –  “Technology”, “Infrastructure” and “Communication” – inspire businesses to develop new sustainable business models influenced by the innovations pioneered in the FIA Formula E Championship.