This talk will briefly introduce the Vehicle Routing Problem to non-experts, and discuss some of the future challenges and opportunities for algorithm developers. Fleets employed in last-mile deliveries are likely to consist of vehicles with very different characteristics in a nearby future. Some of the routes could be performed by autonomous vehicles, others by manned electric vehicles, occasional drivers, vehicles leased from third party logistic operators, or owned truck/van drivers, so as to optimize the objectives of the delivery company and respect regulations. Routing algorithms should therefore be flexible and capable of integrating alternative vehicle types. Preliminary ideas about a modular Vehicle Routing algorithm based on the giant tour representation are discussed, as well as the resulting modelling limitations.
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