UK: Royal Mail puts 8,000th electric vehicle into service

The latest zero-emission vehicle has entered operation at Nottingham North Delivery Office, where it joins 48 electric vans already in daily use for deliveries and collections. The milestone comes during Royal Mail’s busiest period of the year – from Black Week until the end of January, when consumers tend to return unwanted Christmas presents. The deployment reinforces Royal Mail’s position as the UK’s largest operator of electric delivery vehicles, the company states.

Alongside its electric van rollout, Royal Mail has begun deploying micro electric vehicles (MEVs) for dense urban and specialist delivery routes. Last month, the company unveiled the first of more than 100 MEVs at the Lady Mayor’s Show in London. A total of 104 MEVs are being rolled out across London, Bristol, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Solihull, Brighton and the Scilly Isles ahead of the Christmas period.

Royal Mail also emphasises that its electrification programme began in December 2017, when it purchased its first 100 electric vans. Now, almost a quarter of Royal Mail’s delivery offices use electric vehicles as part of their core operations. Nearly all of Royal Mail’s electric vans are charged on-site across its property estate using electricity sourced from a 100 per cent renewable supply.

The company has committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2040 under its ‘Steps to Zero’ environmental strategy, with interim targets set for 2030.

“Reaching 8,000 electric vehicles is a proud moment for Royal Mail,” said Stuart Murphy, Royal Mail’s Head of Fleet Transformation. “This achievement reflects our commitment to reducing emissions and delivering an even more sustainable postal service in every community across the UK.”

The Royal Mail also recently put its first eight electric HGVs into operation at its parcel hubs in Daventry and Warrington. These are all DAF Trucks XD 350E models.

linkedin.com, transportandenergy.com