DPD to add 300 electric vans to UK delivery fleet

DPD has also developed an in-house training programme to help drivers using the EVs

DPD will add 300 Nissan e-NV200 vans into its fleet over the coming months, boosting the firm’s EV fleet to 450 vehicles in total. While DPD is aiming to have 500 EVs in its fleet by the end of the year, the firm is confident of surpassing that number.

By the end of the year, DPD is aiming for 10% of its van fleet to be electric in each of its 68 UK depots.

DPD’s chief executive Dwain McDonald said: “This is a real landmark day in the move to a more sustainable future for the parcel industry. These vehicles are changing the way we work. It isn’t just a case of plugging them in and saying, ‘job done’. We are rethinking and re-engineering how we deliver parcels now and in the future with different route networks and new types of depots. It is an all-encompassing revolution for our industry and electric, emission-free vehicles are at the heart of that vision.

“This enables us to say to more and more customers, ‘we’re delivering your parcels emission-free’, which is a key selling point when we are talking to retailers.” 

The Nissan vehicles can cover between 127-187 miles on a single charge. If a rapid charger is used, the vehicle can reach 80% charge in an hour or to full in under eight hours using a wall box.  

DPD has also developed an in-house training programme to help drivers using the EVs.

Also announced this week was UPS’s investment into Arrival, which will see the delivery firm purchase 10,000 EVs to built for UPS globally. UPS will collaborate with Arrival on new EV systems designed to increase safety and explore automated driving. UPS will begin testing new systems later this year.

Special delivery

EVs are just one solution that delivery firms can turn to when looking to reduce carbon emissions.

Logistics giant UPS has launched a five-year partnership with the University of Dublin’s Trinity College Dublin to integrate a sustainable last-mile delivery service on campus.

The hubs allow UPS to make up to 720 delivery stops a day through more sustainable measures in Dublin and have eliminated the use of five diesel delivery vehicles in the city centre, easing congestion and reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 45%.

Elsewhere, online retailer Amazon has launched a service that enables customers to choose a set delivery day and ‘group’ their orders, which will help the company reduce its packaging footprint and optimise its delivery routes.

A zero-emissions online delivery scheme has been launched by Co-op through a partnership with e-cargobikes.com, while food and drink delivery firm Milk & More has added a further 160 fully electric vans to its UK fleet, bringing its total electric van stock to more than 500 vehicles.

Matt Mace