
Deutsche Post DHL is reportedly planning to start selling electric delivery vans from its StreetScooter subsidiary to third parties on the open market in 2017.
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.
StreetScooter will continue to focus primarily on producing electric delivery vehicles for Deutsche Post DHL, but as it ramps up its production capacity there will be scope for supplying to third parties.
The sort of “third parties” that Deutsche Post DHL envisaged being potential buyers for the StreetScooter include facilities management companies, painters, plumbers and utility providers.
Deutsche Post DHL acquired StreetScooter in December 2014. StreetScooter was set up in 2010, and was a spin-off of RWTH Aachen and a consortium of automotive companies.
Deutsche Post DHL initially developed the StreetScooter, a four-wheeled electric delivery van with a range of up to 120 kilometers (74.5 miles), for its own use for delivering mail and parcels.
[source: Reuters]