Royal Mail’s Newest Delivery Office Will Have An All-Electric Fleet
Royal Mail has announced the launch of its first 100% electric Delivery Office. The Bristol East Central Delivery Office recently had its 23 diesel delivery and collection vans replaced by fully electric ones.
The office’s entire fleet — collection and delivery vehicles — is now made up of electric vehicles. To support this transition, six charging stations have been installed at the office. Furthermore, the electricity powering the office and charging the vehicles is 100% renewable.
The city of Bristol was chosen due to its plans for a Clean Air Zone (CAZ). The CAZ will soon require certain vehicles to pay a daily charge to enter the city center. Currently, other delivery offices across the UK are being considered for fleet upgrades, especially those in places with existing CAZs or with plans to implement a CAZ.
The 23 Electric Vehicles
The 23 new fully electric vans can travel up to 125 miles in between charges and have up to 60% larger load space than the diesel vehicles they have replaced. This allows for additional capacity to carry growing parcel volumes with the bonus of lower maintenance requirements.
The new electric vans will have telemetry capabilities as a part of the Royal Mail’s recent expansion of telemetry technology across its fleet. This is aimed at encouraging more efficient driving techniques. All of these new features will help the area’s postal workers (around 60) deliver mail safely and efficiently without adding to the growing issue of pollution.
Royal Mail Has The Lowest Reported CO2 & Equivalent Emissions Per Parcel
Royal Mail, which is a part of the UK’s Feet on the Street network of over 85,000 postal workers, has the lowest reported CO2 emissions and equivalent (CO2e) per parcel compared to major UK delivery companies.
Royal Mail’s CEO, Simon Thompson, joined the Briston Mayor, Marvin Rees, and representatives of the Communication Workers Union, Bristol & District Branch Secretary, Rob Wotherspoon and Deputy Area Delivery Rep Ben Watts in marking the start of all-electric Royal Mail delivers in Bristol on May 26. Thompson also shared his thoughts on this new achievement:
“It’s clear to me that customers increasingly want less environmentally impacting deliveries. And as a Company, we believe it’s the right thing to do. We are delighted to transform Bristol East Central into the very first Royal Mail ‘all-electric’ Delivery Office. This is a really positive step and will help us assess the impact of these changes on both our customers and our people when compared conventional delivery offices.”
Mayor Rees of Bristol touched upon the Royal Mail’s decision to choose Bristol for its first-ever all-electric Delivery Office:
“It’s fantastic news that Royal Mail has chosen Bristol for its first-ever all-electric Delivery Office. Their 23 electric vehicles will join Bristol’s 99 bio-gas buses already on our streets in reducing emissions and improving air quality. We want to support people and businesses in transitioning our fleet to cleaner and more efficient vehicles. The investment in these vehicles and their network supports the important work of distribution across Bristol, as well as contributing to our economy as we recover from the Covid pandemic.’’
CWU Bristol & District Branch Secretary, Rob Wotherspoon shared some thoughts about fighting for the air his communities breathe:
“This is not just about the fight against climate change but about the air that our communities breathe. It’s great to see Royal Mail leading the charge for clean air and zero-carbon delivery in Bristol.”
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