DPD has confirmed it will take delivery of 300 new electric Nissan e-NV200 vans by May 2020.
According to the parcel delivery company, the deal is believed to be the largest single UK commercial EV van order to date.
It will take DPD’s electric fleet to 450 vehicles, with plans in place to exceed the firm’s stated target of 500 EVs by the end of the year, reportedly making it the UK’s largest EV parcel delivery fleet.
DPD is also aiming for 10% of its van fleet to be electric in each of its 68 UK depots by that point.
Dwain McDonald, DPD CEO, said: “This is a real landmark day in the move to a more sustainable future for the parcel industry.
“These vehicles are changing the way we work. It isn’t just a case of plugging them in and saying, ‘job done’.
“We are rethinking and re-engineering how we deliver parcels now and in the future with different route networks and new types of depots.”
The Nissan e-NV200 can cover a WLTP-approved 124-187 miles on one charge and can be rapid charged to 80% in around 60 minutes, or to full in less than eight hours with a wall box.
The e-NV200 boasts 4.2m2 load space and two sliding doors for access.
DPD has been using the Nissan e-NV200 for deliveries over the last 18 months, and the company has developed its own in-house training to help drivers adapt to the EVs, as part of a vehicle handover programme.
The Nissan tie-up is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives launched by DPD over the last two years.
In October 2018, DPD opened the UK’s first all-electric parcel depot in Westminster and in November last year launched a purpose-built, bio-mechanical hybrid electric-assisted quadracycle called the EAV P1.
Furthermore, in a White Paper late last year, DPD called on vehicle manufacturers to make more righthand drive EVs available for the UK market.
“Credit to Nissan who have stepped up and made affordable righthand drive vehicles available in significant numbers, but we can take far more, if other manufacturers do the same,” added McDonald.
“These vehicles have been proven in the one of the harshest environments. They are quiet, reliable and they get the job done for us, day in, day out.
“This enables us to say to more and more customers, ‘we’re delivering your parcels emission-free’, which is a key selling point when we are talking to retailers.”
