Customer case

Warehousing and logistics for electric motorbikes? That’s Pon Logistics Almere’s daily business.

If you think that Pon Logistics only has expertise in the automotive industry, you are wrong. In recent years, Pon Logistics has also started providing logistics services for various bike brands, and more recently motorcycles. Zero Motorcycles is an American company with electric motorcycles in its range. Zero has its European headquarters in the Netherlands. Storage and transportation services have been provided by Pon Logistics Almere as of 2022. Alex van Dijk, Department Manager at the Almere office, tells us more.

Looking for a logistics partner

Alex: “It actually all started with our warehousing campaign, which Zero Motorcycles latched onto. Zero needed a logistics service provider who could help them grow. The relatively young company has a huge growth ambition. They soon suspected that a partner such as Pon could help them, and thanks to our logistics expertise within the automotive industry, we would understand the ins and outs.” No sooner said than done. Once the introductions were out of the way, there already seemed to be a click. Delivering quality was an important condition. After all, we are dealing with expensive, vulnerable engine parts. Pon Logistics turned out to be the right partner for Zero Motorcycles thanks to our ample experience in storing and shipping car parts.

It was a logical decision to select Pon Logistics Almere as the site for the work activities and storage. The Almere site is familiar with exporting and packing parts for transportation – often to international sites. Delivering high quality, experience with the correct packaging and the right transporter, providing the correct documentation and experience with hazardous substances are all conditions that Pon Logistics Almere easily fulfils.

Organized from A to Z

After several consultations, the agreement was signed. The range was relocated in March 2022 and the work began in April. Alex: “The work activities include receiving incoming shipments and checking them for accuracy and damage. It’s about the parts – not the actual engines. The shipments mostly come from America, and some come from Asia. We then ensure the parts are stored correctly. For large quantities of products, you have to deal with serial numbers, production batches and kits containing multiple parts. This needs to be a very careful process so that all the data is correct. We then transport the items. The parts need to be packaged correctly so that they arrive at the customer in the right condition. Many shipments are sent within Europe, but some also go to neighboring countries outside the EU. We use the correct mode of transport. Sometimes it’s by road, sometimes by air. It’s all customized.”

A lithium battery challenge

Electrification of vehicles is progressing at a rapid pace. Coupled with that, there are increasing numbers of lithium batteries in circulation. That’s no different at Zero Motorcycles, a supplier of electric motorcycles. Alex: “Lithium batteries fall under dangerous substances. This is because they can hardly be extinguished in a fire. Storage and transportation requirements are getting stricter with the increasing use of these batteries across the world. In order to comply with those requirements for Zero Motorcycles, we have invested in a special safe, which is ready for future legislation. This means we are now ready for the future.”

Continuous learning

Through our working relationship with Zero Motorcycles, a lot of learning is going on in Almere about the storage and transportation of lithium batteries and setting up the interfacing. After all, the Zero Motorcycles’ IT system has to connect with Pon Logistics’ IT system. This is now running smoothly and we are working on optimizing the connection. Alex: “We also faced a challenge during the move. The stock that came in as many times larger than we had initially predicted together. That’s where Pon Logistics’ flexibility came in handy. The branch in Veenendaal turned out to be suitable for storing bulk items, so we could still handle the process from Almere.”

Out of the starting blocks

After the start-up phase, which involved very intense contact, the working relationship now runs like a well-oiled machine. Alex: “We could actually get started right away. We really owe this to the short lines of communication, which allowed us to respond to situations immediately. That was essential as spring is the high season for the motorcycle industry. So we were in luck right away. Fortunately, we were well placed to cope with that and we actually got off to a super start.”

The result is worth it

Both parties see a bright future. Alex: “We have already achieved a great deal and are meeting the original demand. The quality and speed are good. Through further development, I hope we can increasingly contribute to the success of Zero Motorcycles. Zero appreciates us contributing ideas and offering solutions. It is a young organization under development that has a very promising future.”

We are happy to make room for new customers.

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