Royal Mail goes electric with Peugeot

Royal Mail has signed an agreement with Peugeot to purchase 100 zero-emission Partner L2 Electric vans, to be used by postmen and women on their delivery rounds. The vans will go into service from December 2017 at delivery offices around the UK, supported by a comprehensive rollout of charging infrastructure.

“With electric vehicles firmly on the agenda this week, there couldn’t be a better time to announce this landmark deal with the Royal Mail”, says PSA group fleet director Martin Gurney, “The order was won after Royal Mail carried out trials with the Partner Electric. It’s a tribute to their performance in the trials that Peugeot Electric vans will soon be helping Royal Mail to significantly reduce the environmental impact of its delivery fleet.”

Paul Gatti, Royal Mail fleet director, said: “Our research has shown that electric vans are a good operational fit with our business and we are delighted to be ordering such a large volume to use in our daily operations. This is good news for our customers and the towns and cities which we serve. It also means we are on the front foot for future changes in emissions legislation.

“Emissions are an important issue for us at Royal Mail and we are continuously looking at new and innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on air quality. Improving the efficiency of our fleet by introducing electric vans is just one example of this.”

The Partner L2 Electric was launched in February and this is the first major fleet order for the van.

Its Lithium-ion battery pack is fitted under the load floor, ensuring there is no loss of load space compared with petrol and diesel-powered Partner L2 models. The Partner L2 Electric will carry a gross payload of 552kg.

Power comes from a compact and highly efficient permanent magnet synchronous motor producing 49kW (67hp) at 4,000rpm and maximum torque of 200Nm. The front wheels are driven through a speed reducer and single ratio gearbox.

The Partner Electric’s 22.5kWh high-capacity lithium-ion batteries offer a range of up to 106 miles, measured on the NEDC cycle. The batteries can be re-charged to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes from a dedicated rapid charge point. The drive motor also provides regenerative braking when slowing down, helping to re-charge the batteries and reduce brake wear.

Partner Electric customers are eligible for the Plug in Van Grant (PiVG) from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) towards the cost of buying the vehicle. The PiVG covers 20 per cent of the cost of the vehicle including VAT but excluding on-the-road costs.

Partner Electric drivers in London would be eligible for the Ultra Low Emission Discount (ULED), which provides a 100 per cent discount from the London Congestion Charge, an exemption worth up to £2,989 per year. London boroughs such as Hackney also offer a 100 per cent discount on parking permits for electric vehicles, resulting in substantial savings each year. In running electric vehicles, all drivers benefit from reduced running costs vs a conventional petrol or diesel car. Lower running costs and lower service maintenance and repair costs add to the financial incentives available, which means that electric motoring can bring about significant savings when considering the total cost of ownership, rather the upfront purchase cost only.