UK parcel delivery firm DPD has doubled the size of its EV fleet to almost 1,500 zero-emission vehicles following a deal with vehicle manufacturer Maxus.
The deal, which includes 500 long wheelbase 3.5t electric vans and 250 of the smaller e DELIVER 3, is part of DPD’s goal to be the most responsible and sustainable city centre delivery company. It plans to extend its fleet further, to include over 1,700 EVs on the road by the end of the year.
DPD’s head of CSR, Olly Craughan, said: “The 3.5t van is the workhorse of any delivery and collection fleet, so to get our hands on an EV with this kind of capacity and range is a real game changer for us.
“We’ve got EVs in every DPD depot already, but they are largely focused on quite compact routes, usually in city centres, where range isn’t an issue. But this opens the possibility of clean, green deliveries on a much larger scale.
In May, the firm announced the roll-out of a major new air quality monitoring programme across six of the biggest cities in the UK. While in October 2020, DPD confirmed plans that by 2025 its fleets in 25 of the largest towns and cities in the UK will comprise of low and zero-emission vehicles.
Craughan added: “We know from our shippers that being able to offer their customers green deliveries is a huge plus point, while the feedback on the doorstep is similarly positive.
“Our aim is to deliver to 25 of the largest towns and cities in the UK entirely with zero and low-emission delivery means by 2025, and this order begins to make that a reality.”
