Royal Mail have deployed electric vehicles in nine of their Delivery Offices across London and Kent as they continuously look at new and innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Doubtless there is also a cost consideration, not to mention the charges that many cities are introducing to combat their carbon footprint and drive the most polluting vehicles off the roads.
The Islington, Camden, Whitechapel, Nine Elms, West London, Orpington, Hythe, Bexleyheath and Dartford Delivery Offices each have six electric vehicles that are being used by postmen and women on their delivery rounds. Charging points have also been installed in each of these offices.
Royal Mail are in a unique position to roll out electric vehicles as their delivery offices invariably have large parking lots in which charging points can be installed. Additionally, routes are local to their delivery offices and much of the time their electric vehicles will be parked up while the posties deliver letters and parcels before moving a couple of miles to be parked up yet again for the next round of drop offs.
It’s unlikely that Royal Mail will move entirely to electric vehicles any time soon as the cost of replacing their entire fleet would be prohibitive. We do however expect to see them to roll out to more delivery offices on a gradual basis and increase the number of electric vehicles at existing locations.
Royal Mail are also using electric vehicle technology for some larger commercial vehicles to move mail within their network.
2 Responses
I think they are using one in Sheffield, a large letter posted 1st Class on Friday arrived today.
Electric vehicles are more costly to buy but much cheaper to run. Over a few years, the total cost of ownership is less with electric vehicles.
All short distance delivery fleets will switch to electric as fast as they reasonably can simply to save money.