Delivery company Yodel is investing £15.2m on green technologies designed to reduce the environmental impact of its road-based operations.
The investment by the parcel carrier includes new vehicles and trailers as well as technology to improve efficiency and safety.
It has taken delivery of an all-electric 7.5 tonne light-duty truck, the first in its fleet. The Mitsubishi FUSO eCanter will initially be based at Yodel’s customer delivery depot in Hayes and used across London.
Silent and emissions-free, the vehicle has a load capacity of up to four and a half tonnes and is powered by six high voltage batteries.
Yodel, one of the largest delivery companies in the UK, and CollectPlus, the UK’s largest independent store-based parcel delivery and returns service, have a new electric lorry. The electric vehicle will be the first in the Yodel and CollectPlus fleet.
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©Richard Eaton
The carrier has also invested in Microlise telematics and fleet management technology for all its tractor units and trailers – a total of more than 1,300 assets.
The software monitors factors such as speed, location, and road traffic levels. It reports back to Yodel, allowing the fleet team to view the network in real-time and adapt to dynamic conditions.
Microlise’s Android-based DriveTab tablet devices act as the main interface for driver communication and navigation. Journeys can be planned and monitored by the business control tower and instructions sent to the driver, while driving style can be evaluated and feedback provided to optimise driver performance.
Yodel says it has already seen a 7% improvement in fuel efficiency since the introduction of the technology.
As part of its ongoing commitment to ensure the safety of its drivers and other road users, Yodel has also fitted every tractor unit with a Microlise panic button, enabling drivers to alert the business control tower of an emergency.
The carrier is also trialling dashboard camera systems for its tractor units, to aid incident investigation.
Andrew Peeler, CEO of Yodel, said, “This large-scale investment in our fleet is designed to improve efficiency and minimise the environmental impact of deliveries. I’m delighted that we’ve introduced electric to our fleet this spring, and we have plans to expand our use of both pedal and electric power this year.
“In addition, we have invested in technology to calculate the most efficient routes and evaluate our drivers’ driving style to further reduce our carbon footprint.”
