The UK’s Royal Mail has announced the addition of the 9,000th electric van to its fleet, reinforcing its position as the UK’s largest electric delivery fleet. The delivery service is working towards becoming net-zero by 2040, and expects to continue boosting the number of EVs within its fleet over the coming years.
Royal Mail expands its EV fleet across vans, trucks, and micromobility
The latest addition takes Royal Mail’s electric van fleet to 9,000, a scale that keeps it ahead of other UK delivery operators on zero-emission vehicle numbers. The vans joining the Colchester Delivery Office add to the 44 Royal Mail sites which are already running fully electric operations, with no diesel vehicles.
Electrification at Royal Mail began in 2017 with an initial order of 100 vehicles. Uptake has accelerated considerably since then, and almost a third of delivery routes are now zero-emission. Electric vans are also costing the Royal Mail less to run and maintain than their diesel equivalents, while also helping the firm to work towards its net zero goals.
The company is also pushing electrification across other vehicle categories within its fleet. Its first electric HGV joined the fleet in December, supporting the decarbonisation of its distribution network. It is also rolling out over 100 micro electric vehicles in locations across the UK, forming a crucial link for the last-mile stage of the delivery process.
Stuart Murphy, Royal Mail’s Head of Fleet Transformation, commented:
“Reaching 9,000 electric vehicles is a major milestone as we work to transform our fleet. This shift is helping us cut emissions while delivering a better service for our customers, with quieter, cleaner deliveries in communities across the UK.”
