Deutsche Post DHL Group and Ford presented the first of their jointly produced electric delivery vans – or e-van – today in Cologne, Germany.
The vehicle, called the StreetScooter WORK XL, is based on a Ford Transit chassis fitted with a battery-electric drivetrain and a body designed and built to Deutsche Post DHL specifications.
In 2017, around 150 early build e-vans will be manufactured in the StreetScooter plant in Aachen, Germany. Deutsche Post DHL will use the e-vans to support its urban parcel delivery service in Germany. Deutsche Post DHL, StreetScooter and Ford plan to build 2,500 e-vans by the end of 2018. Like StreetScooter’s existing electric models – the WORK and WORK L – the WORK XL could be also sold to third-party customers.
Each WORK XL could save around five tonnes of CO2 and 1,900 litres of diesel fuel each year. With 2,500 vehicles in service as planned, this could result in a total saving of 12,500 tonnes of CO2 and 4.75 million litres of fuel every year.
The WORK XL will have a load volume of 20 cubic metres and provide stowage space for more than 200 parcels. The e-van is fitted with a modular battery system delivering 30 kWh to 90 kWh of power, giving it a range of between 80 km and 200 km (50 miles and 124 miles).
The WORK XL not only is different in size and range from its sister vans – the WORK (4 cubic metres load volume) and the WORK L (8 cubic metres load volume) – but differs also in terms of the body construction. The WORK XL’s load area is fitted with shelves and is accessible from the driver’s cab. The vehicle can be loaded via the tailgate and a kerb-side sliding door. With a charging capacity of up to 22 kW, the average charging time is three hours.
In addition to the new WORK XL model, more than 3,000 StreetScooter WORK and WORK L electric vehicles, plus about 10,500 pedelecs, are currently in service with Deutsche Post DHL, making the group the largest e-fleet operator in Germany.
Jürgen Gerdes, Member of the Board of Management Post – eCommerce – Parcel, at Deutsche Post DHL Group, said: “The new StreetScooter WORK XL expands our e-fleet in the commercial vehicle segment. It is the perfect vehicle for parcel deliveries in major cities and large urban areas, and will enable us to cope with the rising parcel volumes in an even more environmentally friendly and quieter manner. With this commitment, we are also underlining our claim of being the market leader in green logistics.”
Steven Armstrong, group vice president and president, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Ford Motor Company, said: “We’re really proud of this ambitious project, and of the strong partnership we’ve developed with Deutsche Post DHL Group and StreetScooter. This joint project will be Europe’s largest manufacturer of emission-free, medium-sized e-vans, and it doesn’t come a moment too soon. Buses, cars, and of course, delivery vans play vital roles in our daily lives, but we have to find a way to make them cleaner. This project is a great step along this path.”
