Motion Digest Network

German postal and logistics group Deutsche Post DHL subsidiary StreetScooter GmbH will start selling electric delivery vans WORK on the open market in 2017.

Streetscooter WORK, a four-wheeled electric van with a range of up to 120 kilometres, for its own use for delivering mail and parcels.

But the group plans to start mass production of the vehicles shortly, aiming for up to 10,000 vehicles per year and production shift, German magazine Spiegel reported on Friday.

“We want to start sales to third parties from next year,” a spokesman told Reuters.

DHL & StreetScooter

In December 2014 Deutsche Post DHL acquired StreetScooter, a German start-up that developed affordable electric vehicles for postal deliveries which eventually sell the cars. StreetScooter launched the first small-scale production run of 500 StreetScooters in 2015 introduced to neighboring European countries.

In April, a press release from Deutsche Post DHL announced that it will manufacture its own electric delivery van with the first 2,000 vehicles will roll off the production line in 2016, the company gradually replacing its whole fleet of 30,000 delivery vans with the electric vehicles.

DHL Electric Vehicles Delivery

Prior to the purchase of StreetScooter, Deutsche Post DHL signed a letter of intent for a possible future global framework agreement with Renault. The intended global agreement contain the options for a future purchase of Renault Kangoo Z.E.. The Kangoo Z.E. is an electic vehicle that is used to transport DHL Express shipments at the moment in France as well as in Aruba, Belgium, Denmark and Germany.  DHL  uses 304 electric vehicles including Kangoo Z.E., Renault ZOE as well as the Renault Twizy. The most recent project takes place in Bonn/Germany, where the whole parcel delivery in the city and the surrounding areas will be changed to electric vehicles. By 2016 over 140 electric vehicles will be in use, including several Renault Kangoo Z.E.

DHL GoGreen Program

Deutsche Post DHL has extended its fleet of alternative vehicles by over 4,000 cars throughout the past year, increasing the number to 10,500 in 2014. The investment into new technologies and fuel concepts is part of the Group’s climate protection program GoGreen. Worldwide DHL currently operates over 300 electric vehicles, more than 300 hybrids and almost 2,500 on bio fuel, gas, ethanol or dual fuel. In addition, the company makes use of aerodynamic modifications in order to reduce CO2-emissions significantly.

Deutsche Post DHL has set itself a CO2-efficiency target that aims to improve its companywide CO2-efficiency by 30 percent by 2020.