Manufacturers of commercial electric vehicles are poised to play an increasingly larger role in the logistics sector, as e-commerce demand continues to surge and strain supply chain responses.

A new analysis from Cushman & Wakefield says that industrial operations can be "dramatically enhanced" with electric vehicle fleets that can "improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve supply chain response to meet an intensified consumer appetite."

Using electric vehicles to transport local freight can help operators lower their overall carbon footprint and improve last-mile delivery efficiencies. But "last-mile facilities will need to change radically—not only to accommodate the new fleet of commercial EVs, but the charging stations that will power them," the Cushman researchers note. "Facility owners and developers will increasingly need to consider onsite charging stations that are integrated with a building's energy management system (BEM), ensuring enough electricity to accommodate the large batteries of electric trucks—a major restructure that won't happen overnight."