The first all-electric Post Office-branded vehicle has been successfully trialled in the UK.
Serving 11 communities in rural Pembrokeshire, the battery-electric ‘Mobile Post Office’ service replaces the previous diesel-powered mobile branch.
Testing of the electric van across Pembrokeshire’s hilly terrain over the past few weeks has reportedly proven the service’s viability, with the vehicle able to do more than 100 miles before recharging is required.
According to the Post Office, the longest mileage day for the Pembroke ‘Mobile Post Office’ is 60 miles, which gives spare capacity and no risk of ‘range anxiety’.
Furthermore, the vehicle is charged overnight, which removes the need for charging the vehicle during service or the need to make a detour to find a compatible charger.
Nigel Parry, Post Office national outreach model owner, which includes Mobile Post Offices, said: “We know the green credentials of these vehicles, they are better for the environment as there are no emissions polluting communities. These vehicles are cheaper to run and to maintain.
“Crucially we are testing these vehicles whilst serving communities to ensure that they are fit for purpose. We want to see how they perform in real life conditions.
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“We don’t want our postmasters to have range anxiety, especially as they may be visiting several rural communities in one, where there is no charging capacity or time during their busy schedules to get a re-charge until the evening.
“Hilly terrain, cold weather, traffic jams and the age and condition of the battery would all affect the range of a vehicle, so we need to ensure there is spare capacity to serve outlying communities at any time of the year.”
According to the Post Office, an additional benefit is that EVs are quicker to maintain than the current twice yearly service of diesel vehicles, which may require a vehicle being off the road all day.
Next month another electric Mobile Post Office will be introduced in East Anglia, followed by a third vehicle at a location still to be determined, to fully test the suitability of the vehicles for rural locations and the cost compared to conventionally-powered vehicles.
There are currently 67 diesel Mobile Post Offices in use across Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A ‘Mobile Post Office’ service is designed to maintain Post Office services to smaller communities, especially in rural areas.
It can sell the same range of Post Office services as those provided by a postmaster’s main branch, including mail, foreign currencies if pre-ordered, banking on behalf of all the major high street banks, bill payments and vehicle tax.
Achievements and innovations in sustainable mobility will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector
