The rapid growth in e-commerce calls for research on the potential of electric vehicles in improving last-mile delivery. Whereas existing studies have examined aspects of last-mile delivery, such as challenges, acceptance/benefits, and feasibility, the studies are fragmented, with conflicting findings and regional differences. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive understanding of the studies to map out current research trends and propose future research agendas. To address this research gap, a bibliometric review was conducted on 375 publications from the Scopus database. Findings reveal that pioneering countries such as the USA have researched integrating electric vehicles into last-mile delivery systems, focusing on technological advancements such as battery technologies and smart grids. The sustainability theme is common in most studies, focusing on controlling carbon emissions and energy efficiency. The electric micro-mobility theme has grown in recent years, while emerging technologies remain underexplored, especially in developing economies. Future research should address the underexplored areas. These include charging infrastructure optimisation, electric micro-mobility innovations, and integration in urban environments, alongside the social and ethical implications of electric vehicle adoption for last-mile delivery.

Background: An effective and efficient last-mile delivery service plays a critical role towards the growth of global online retail sales. In Kenya, online customers have often been unwilling to shop online again, mainly because of delivery issues. However, the extent to which customers are satisfied with the last-mile delivery service remains unknown. This is despite the significant potential that the sector has, which remains unrealised in the country’s economy.Objectives: The key objective of this study was to establish the extent of customer satisfaction with the different elements of last-mile delivery service offered by online retailers in Kenya.Method: A quantitative approach was utilised. An online survey collected data from 467 online customers (‘users’ and ‘nonusers’) in Nairobi. The data were subjected to descriptive statistics and the mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the outcome of the study.Results: ‘Users’ were most satisfied with delivery options while ‘nonusers’ were most satisfied with delivery fees. However, both ‘users’ and ‘nonusers’ were least satisfied with returns. This study also found that ‘users’ were more satisfied with delivery options, delivery tracking and returns compared with ‘nonusers’. There was a significant difference in satisfaction with delivery options for ‘users’ and ‘nonusers’.Conclusion: Online retail managers are advised to improve the way in which they offer returns to their customers. This involves offering more options for returning the ordered goods, making it easy to locate the returns procedure on their websites and having a clear returns policy.Contribution: This study advances the understanding of last-mile delivery service, after comprehensive empirical evidence of customer satisfaction with the different elements of last-mile delivery service in Kenya.

The rapid growth in e-commerce has created challenges in last mile delivery, including rising costs, environmental concerns, and increasing customer expectations. Various last mile delivery (LMD) technologies have been adopted to address the issues. However, existing studies on LMD technologies are fragmented across different geographical contexts and focus on a wide range of technologies. The motivations for utilising LMD technologies also vary. Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive analysis of current research to identify trends and propose future research agendas on LMD technologies in e-commerce. A bibliometric review of 605 publications from Scopus was conducted to address these gaps. The findings indicate that most studies focus on three common themes: sustainability, delivery efficiency, and emerging technological innovations. The emerging technological innovations remain an underexplored theme. Future research agendas should focus on integrating intelligent technologies with emerging delivery vehicles to improve sustainability and efficiency within LMD.

The use of light electric vehicles (LEVs), such as electric bikes and electric scooters, is being increasingly adopted as a sustainable transportation solution in urban areas. This is driven by the need for cleaner, faster, and space-efficient mobility solutions in urban areas. Although research on LEVs has grown over time, it remains fragmented across disciplines, creating a need for an integrated study on how LEVs contribute to sustainable transport in urban areas. This study conducted a bibliometric review to identify key themes in LEVs and sustainable transport in urban areas, and proposed future research agendas based on conceptual patterns and research gaps. The Scopus database was utilised, with a focus on 552 publications covering the period from 2000 to 2025, retrieved on 30 September 2025. The Biblioshiny application (version 5.0) was used to perform bibliometric performance analysis and science mapping techniques. Results revealed that the publication trend steadily rose from 2015, with a significant upsurge after 2020, with an annual growth rate of 18.69%. Three dominant themes were identified, namely sustainability, integration with public transport, and technological innovations, alongside underexplored areas such as shared electric micromobility, freight delivery, and policy and governance. Research gaps remain in lifecycle impacts, social equity, and governance frameworks, highlighting the need for inclusive and sustainable LEV adoption. Future research should capture full lifecycle impacts, expand access to LEVs beyond current user groups, and align rapid technological advances with inclusive governance frameworks.

The significant rise of electric vehicles in urban areas calls for research on smart charging to promote electric mobility. Existing research is fragmented, with inconsistent findings, focusing on single aspects of smart charging, such as challenges, charging technologies, and sustainability concerns. Thus, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify the key themes and propose future research agendas on smart charging for electric mobility in urban areas, to guide policy formulation and promote widespread uptake of electric vehicles. A total of 201 publications covering the period 2005 to 2025 were extracted from the Scopus database; the first was published in 2011 and numbers peaked in 2024, with 39 publications. The topic is young, with an average age per publication of 4.17 years, with China as the top-ranked country, with 97 publications. Research on smart charging for e-mobility in urban areas focuses on four key themes: smart charging technologies and optimisation strategies, grid integration and vehicle-to-grid systems, renewable energy and environmental sustainability, and urban mobility systems and infrastructure development. Despite their importance, real-world testing and smarter integration with cities and grids remain largely underexplored, especially in developing countries. Future research should focus on large-scale vehicle-to-grid integration, user behaviour analysis, and coordinated planning of smart charging with urban transport and policy frameworks.

The significant rise of electric vehicles in urban areas calls for research on smart charging to promote electric mobility. Existing research is fragmented, focusing on single aspects of smart charging, with inconsistent findings. Thus, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify the key themes and propose future research agendas on smart charging for electric mobility in urban areas research to guide policy formulation and promote widespread uptake of electric vehicles. A total of 201 publications covering the period 2005 to 2025 were extracted from the Scopus database. Results revealed four key themes are used on smart charging for e-mobility in urban areas research: smart charging technologies and optimisation strategies, grid integration and vehicle-to-grid systems, renewable energy and environmental sustainability, and urban mobility systems and infrastructure development. Despite their importance, real-world testing and smarter integration with cities and grids, especially in developing countries, remain largely underexplored. Future research should focus on large-scale vehicle-to-grid integration, user behavior analysis, and coordinated planning of smart charging with urban transport and policy frameworks.