DPD aiming for UK’s greenest van fleet but CEO says lack of electric vans and trucks is holding back transition.
Parcel delivery firm DPD has agreed a deal with MAN Truck & Bus UK 100 eTGE electric vans. DPD says the agreement means will have the largest 3.5t electric van fleet in the UK and takes its electric fleet to 600 vehicles in total.
DPD will start to take delivery of the vans in June, which are designed for inner city use, with a 36kW battery providing relatively short range (65-70 miles), but capable of 80 per cent rapid recharging in 45 minutes.
DPD opened the UK’s first all-electric parcel depot in Westminster and in November last year launched a purpose-built, e-cargo bike.
The firm will also take delivery of 300 Nissan e-NV200 vans by May 2020. DPD wants to make 10 per cent of its van fleet electric by the year end.
“We’re building the largest all-electric delivery fleet in the UK, in double-quick time,” said CEO Dwain McDonald. “The 3.5t van is absolutely core to our delivery and collection fleet strategy, so this is a big deal for us. It gives us huge efficiencies on the road in terms of route densities, but we’ve had to wait a long time for the first electric right-hand drive 3.5t vans. We’re really pleased to be partnering with MAN Truck & Bus on what is another UK EV first, and we are hugely grateful for their support.”
McDonald urged other manufacturers to get to market with right hand drive e-vans.
“We can take far more. It isn’t just us demanding them, our retail customers have responded very positively to our new EV fleet and they want to be telling their customers about their green deliveries too. We are designing new ways of working to incorporate these vehicles into our operation, so they are transforming our business as well as contributing to cleaner air and less congestion.”
If your business is considering a switch to EVs and/or installing charging infrastructure for public or private use, be sure to register for The Energyst’s EV Event, 22-23 April, Silverstone. The business-to-business conference and exhibition is free to attend and delegates can drive electric vehicles from Jaguar Land Rover, and hopefully one or two other major OEMs, around the track.
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Related stories:
Mitie: Bigger electric vans key to decarbonising fleet
Mitie procurement chief: Show me the EVs
Free report: EVs and charging infrastructure for businesses
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