UK postal and courier company Royal Mail has announced that has passed the milestone of 4,000 electric vehicles (EVs) being deployed across its delivery and collection fleet.
The EV roll-out includes several cities where low-emission zones and other clean air projects are in force, including London, Bristol, Glasgow, Cambridge and Oxford. It aligns with the company’s goal of achieving 5,000 vehicles across its fleet by the end of spring 2023.
The 4,000th electric vehicle was deployed at Blackpool Delivery Office which will, over the coming months, have 90 electric vehicles on site, according to Royal Mail.
The company plans on having all delivery and collection functions operated by a fully-electric fleet.
So far, the company reports that more than 100 delivery offices across the country have transitioned to either full or part electric deliveries and collections, with Bristol being its first site to go all-electric in June 2021.
Neil Barritt, Blackpool customer office manager, Royal Mail, said: “It’s been great to have the opportunity to be leading the way in the rollout of Royal Mail’s new electric fleet.
“The new vans will become a familiar site on the streets of Blackpool and our posties are really excited about doing their bit to reduce air and noise pollution in the town.
“As a company, we pride ourselves with having the lowest reported CO2e emissions per parcel amongst major UK delivery companies and showcasing the way to achieving a more sustainable future for our fleet and our planet.”
With lower maintenance requirements, the electric fleet offers the benefit of more on-road time and higher improved reliability.
The postal company claims they can travel up to 130 miles (209km) in-between charges, depending on vehicle type, weather and the size of their load.
What’s more, the fully electric vans reportedly have up to 38% larger load space than the vehicles they have replaced, meaning they are even better equipped to deal with growing demand for parcels.
