Royal Mail takes delivery of 5,000th electric van

Royal Mail has taken delivery of its 5,000 electric vehicle (EV) for its delivery and collection fleet as it aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

The 5,000th electric vehicle was deployed at Sheffield City Delivery Office, where more than 50 EVs on site are being used for delivery and collection functions.

Royal Mail’s roll-out of EVs includes many cities where low emission zones are in force, including London, Bristol, Glasgow, Cambridge and Oxford.

So far, more than 160 delivery or collection units across the country have made the transition to move to either full or part electric deliveries and collections.

The first site that went live with an all-electric fleet was Bristol in June 2021, with 22 all-electric vans now being operated in the city.

The latest site to make the switch to an all-electric fleet is Urmston Delivery Office with 19 electric vehicles on site.

Richard Sewell, Sheffield City customer office manager, said: “It’s been great to have the opportunity to be leading the way in the rollout of Royal Mail’s new electric fleet and to have had the 5,000th vehicle delivered to Sheffield City DO. 

“The new vans are becoming a familiar site on the streets of Sheffield and our posties are really excited about doing their bit to reduce air and noise pollution in the town. 

“As a company, we pride ourselves with having the lowest reported CO2e emissions per parcel amongst major UK delivery companies and showcasing the way to achieving a more sustainable future for our fleet & our planet.”

The expansion of zero-emission vehicles, says Royal Mail, demonstrates its commitment to reducing emissions associated with its operations, and to delivering a cleaner future.

Royal Mail already has the lowest reported CO2e emissions per parcel amongst major UK delivery companies, with its ‘Feet on the Street’, network of more than 90,000 postmen and women, with over half of parcel deliveries are made purely by foot or through a park and loop method, combining low mileage van movements and on-foot delivery.

With lower maintenance requirements, the electric fleet promises more on-road time and higher levels of reliability, it says.

The electric vans can travel up to 160 miles in-between charges, depending on vehicle type, weather and load-size.

They have up to 38% larger load space than the vehicles they have replaced, giving them additional capacity to deal with growing parcel volumes, Royal Mail added.