Parcel delivery company DPD is to invest £330 million building seven distribution centres that will provide charging facilities for its growing fleet of EVs.
Work will begin on new distribution centres in Crawley and Darlington this year, as well as in Cambridge, Bradford, Guildford, Milton Keynes and Sittingbourne in 2026, with all seven facilities operational by early 2027.
The new fully automated sortation facilities will each be capable of processing up to 80,000 parcels a day, with capacity to accommodate more than 100 new delivery driver routes.
DPD UK said each 60,000 sq ft location is optimised in terms of transport links to ensure the most efficient operation possible with its increasingly electric van fleet and will include EV charging facilities.
Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications & Sustainability, DPD Group UK said, “This announcement represents a significant investment in our infrastructure as we continue to modify and expand our nationwide network of over 80 regional sorting centres.
“Our 50th new depot will be a landmark moment with the majority of our regional sorting centres having been replaced and upgraded.
“It is one of the reasons we continue to be the leading premium parcel delivery service in the UK – we have modern, purpose-built infrastructure in place with the speed and the capacity needed to run a premium national seven day a week, next day delivery service.
“With 38% of our delivery van fleet already electric, these facilities will be served by increasing numbers of electric vehicles, making them more sustainable operations, and helping us move towards our Net Zero targets.”
