Bensons for Beds is launching an electric vehicle (EV) home delivery pilot scheme as it begins planning to phase out all its petrol and diesel vehicles.

The trial delivery scheme will be offered to customers in London, as well as Kent, Cambridge, Essex and Milton Keynes.

Bensons is using the Maxus E Deliver 3 – built by SAIC – with a payload of 905kg and capable of comfortably carrying eight to 10 Rollo mattresses. The van has an average city range of 213 miles on a full charge.

The first e-van will be based at Bensons’ Dagenham distribution centre. If the pilot is successful, Bensons will look to begin rolling out the vehicle across its logistics network and 200-strong fleet.

Bensons for Beds chief operating officer Joe Wykes said: “This is another landmark on the route to Bensons becoming a net zero retailer.

“The pilot scheme will let us know how to get the best out of the e-van and deliver great service to our customers.

“Our ambition is to replace our existing vehicles with an all-electric fleet covering the whole country.”

Six months in the planning, the move comes just four weeks after the Government announced plans to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK by 2030 as part of its efforts to tackle climate change.

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