Royal Mail will invest in 1,800 more electric vans after unveiling its 7,000th electric vehicle to secure its position as having the largest electric delivery fleet in the UK.
The 7,000th zero-emission version has been deployed at South Lambeth Delivery Office, adding to the 70 others already used for deliveries and collections there.
A further 1,800 electric vans and supporting charging infrastructure will go live over the next year. Almost half of the new vans will be built in the UK at Stellantis’s Ellesmere Port plant.
Lilian Greenwood, Member of Parliament for Nottingham South and Minister for the Future of Roads, unveiled the 7,000th electric vehicle at South Lambeth Delivery Office, which delivers to the Houses of Parliament and addresses across Victoria, Chelsea, Lambeth and South Kensington.
Royal Mail purchased its first 100 electric vehicles in December 2017, deployed in delivery offices across the UK.
Now, almost a quarter of Royal Mail’s delivery offices use electric vehicles for deliveries and collections. Almost all of the company’s electric vans are charged on-site across its property estate via a purchased 100% renewable electricity supply and all are zero-emissions at the tailpipe.
Royal Mail has also recently welcomed its first-ever electric trucks, in collaboration with Magtec. Supported by an £800,000 grant from Innovate UK, the trial will put the two new 19-tonne vehicles through their paces in real-world conditions.
Alistair Cochrane, Royal Mail’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “Today, we’ve hit a major milestone in our journey to reach net zero by 2040. We’ve strengthened our position as the UK’s largest electric delivery fleet and our investment in 1,800 more zero-emission vans will help us maintain this in the future. Royal Mail is going the extra mile to decarbonise its fleet, with huge benefits for our posties, our customers and the planet.”
