Royal Mail has announced plans for a ten-fold increase in the number of electric vans on its fleet, with 3,000 set to go into operation across the UK.
The roll-out of the new vans, which will take Royal Mail’s total EV fleet to around 3,300, will initially be focused on ultra-low emission zones and green cities.
The company will be introducing vehicle chargers at all the delivery offices where the vans will be based.
The new vans will operate on Royal Mail’s usual delivery routes, and feature load capacities from around 3.7m3 to 6.3m3.
The company said it was motivated to electrify not only for environmental reasons, but because electric vans increasingly made more long-term economic sense than diesel vehicles.
Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson said: “Due to our feet on the street delivery model, we are the clear leader in low emissions per parcel in the UK.
“Electrification of our vehicle fleet will strengthen our advantage. That’s good for our customers, our people and the planet.
“We look forward to working with vehicle manufacturers and government to increase supply so we can accelerate our transition to electric vehicles in the UK. It matters to our customers, and it matters to us.”