Royal Mail to add 2,100 electric vans to its red van fleet

The new electric vehicles will be added over the next year and will be the first of Royal Mail’s famous red vans to include the new King’s cruciform and livery.

They will be rolled out from August across the UK and Royal Mail plans for more than half to be on the streets in time for the Christmas shopping period, helping to provide greener deliveries during the busiest time of the year.

Royal Mail already has the largest electric delivery fleet in the UK with around 5,000 vans, and the new additions will increase the total by almost half in just one year, bringing it to 7,100.

Denise Beedell, Logistics UK's Senior Policy Manager said: “It’s great to see Royal Mail extending their electric vehicle fleet and demonstrates how important EVs are as part of Royal Mail’s fleet decarbonisation strategy.

“Logistics UK has been calling for an agreed and co-created logistics roadmap to net zero to help support the industry to decarbonise and as a partner of the Zero Emission Van Plan campaign, we have been seeking urgent steps from government, including removing regulatory barriers, to help more fleets transition to EVs.”

Most of the vans will be charged on-site at Royal Mail’s delivery offices via a purchased 100% renewable electricity supply, meaning they will be zero emission.

When all 2,100 new electric vans are in use, they are expected to reduce Royal Mail’s total emissions by around 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

Jenny Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Royal Mail, said, “We are proud to take another big step towards our target to be net zero by 2040. Electric vehicles provide a wide range of benefits, reducing noise and air pollution in local communities as well as reducing our impact on the environment.

“We want as many customers as possible to benefit from zero-emission deliveries to their doorstep.”

Royal Mail has also introduced hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to fuel much of its heavy goods vehicle fleet, which is a renewable alternative to diesel that produces up to 90% less direct carbon emissions compared to diesel.

The fuel was introduced in June 2023 and has already saved more than 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

The company’s ‘Steps to Zero’ environment strategy set a goal of achieving net zero by 2040. The company has already reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 18% in two years, with a target to achieve a 50% reduction by 2030.

Published On: 01/08/2024 13:58:59

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