The growth of e-commerce and urban logistics has intensified the demand for efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable last-mile delivery solutions. Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional fuel-powered delivery vehicles due to their potential to reduce operating costs and environmental impacts. This systematic review synthesizes existing literature on the cost and environmental benefits of EV adoption in last-mile delivery systems. Relevant studies published in academic journals, industry reports, and conference proceedings were examined to identify key trends, benefits, challenges, and research gaps. The review reveals that EVs contribute significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and dependence on fossil fuels, thereby supporting sustainable urban logistics and climate objectives. From an economic perspective, EVs offer lower fuel and maintenance costs, improved energy efficiency, and long-term operational savings despite higher initial investment requirements. The findings also highlight the importance of complementary factors such as charging infrastructure, route optimization technologies, government incentives, and integration with smart logistics systems in maximizing the benefits of EV deployment. However, barriers including limited charging networks, battery constraints, high upfront costs, and operational uncertainties continue to hinder widespread adoption, particularly in developing economies. The review identifies emerging research directions related to electric micro-mobility, artificial intelligence-enabled fleet management, and policy frameworks for sustainable logistics. Overall, the study concludes that EVs provide substantial cost and environmental advantages for last-mile delivery operations and can play a critical role in advancing sustainable transportation systems when supported by appropriate technological, infrastructural, and regulatory measures.
Nesarikar et al. (Mon,) studied this question.