Hermes becomes VW’s first We Deliver courier partner

By Matt De Prez

4 February 2020

Volkswagen has begun trials of its new in-car delivery service We Deliver with partner Hermes.

The new service utilises connected car technology, allowing the Hermes courier to access the car’s boot using a one-time digital access.

Trials are taking place in Milton Keynes to test the system.

VW drivers can choose to have their package delivered to their car. If selected, the courier is given a single-use, time-specific digital access to open the car which can only be used by them, and GPS co-ordinates for the car are sent to the courier to carry out the delivery.

Once successful, couriers provide photo evidence of the delivery and confirm that the boot is securely locked afterwards.

Should the delivery be unviable on the day for any reason – for example, there is insufficient space in the boot or the courier can’t locate the car – then the delivery will default to the user’s alternative address instead

Customers piloting the scheme will receive a text or email when one of their parcels arrives at the Hermes depot, giving them the option to have it delivered to their car. Once they accept and authenticate themselves using their unique Volkswagen ID log-in, the courier is then able to see which packages have been converted to in-car deliveries.

Once the Milton Keynes trial has been completed and feedback collated, the service will be rolled out gradually across the UK. We Deliver can be activated in vehicles that have the We Connect Plus package. In order to use this service, the owner of the car must be registered on the Volkswagen We platform. Most Volkswagens produced after January 2, 2019 are eligible for the service, or after July 2 2018 for the Touareg.

Claire McGreal, brand strategy and mobility services manager at Volkswagen UK, said: “We are excited to have Hermes on board as our first courier partner to trial We Deliver in the UK. Feedback from users in Germany, where the scheme is already live, has been consistently positive and we hope to begin rolling out gradually across the UK by late 2020.”