Royal Mail purchases 100 electric delivery vans

The Royal Mail has signed an agreement with Peugeot to purchase 100 electric vans to be used as delivery vehicles.

The zero-emission Partner L2 Electric vans are set to be used by postmen and women on their delivery rounds and will go into service from December 2017 at delivery offices around the UK.

It is being supported by a “comprehensive rollout of charging infrastructure”.

Paul Gatti, Royal Mail fleet director, said: “Our research has shown that electric vans are a good operational fit with our business and we are delighted to be ordering such a large volume to use in our daily operations.

“This is good news for our customers and the towns and cities which we serve. It also means we are on the front foot for future changes in emissions legislation.”

The Partner L2 Electric was launched in February and this is the first major fleet order for the van.

The Partner Electric’s 22.5kWh high-capacity lithium-ion batteries offer a range of up to 106 miles, measured on the NEDC cycle. The batteries can be re-charged to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes from a dedicated rapid charge point. The drive motor also provides regenerative braking when slowing down, helping to re-charge the batteries and reduce brake wear.

Partner Electric customers are eligible for the Plug in Van Grant (PiVG) from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) towards the cost of buying the vehicle. The PiVG covers 20 per cent of the cost of the vehicle including VAT but excluding on-the-road costs.