Last updated on April 8th, 2020 at 07:57 pm
Delivery and logistics firm DPD is to take delivery of 300 all-electric Nissan e-NV200 vans by May 2020; with the addition of Nissan's fleet of vehicles, DPD will hold over 450 EVs in its fleet. The company is looking to transition 10% of its vehicles in all of its 68 UK depots to be electric by the end of the year. This comes after DPD set out a strategy to be one of the most responsible and sustainable city centre delivery company in the UK.
In fact, the e-NV200 already makes up the majority of DPD's fleet; the company has 91 Nissan all-electric vans delivering parcels for the past 18 months. The additional vehicles will be used for local, multi-drop deliveries, travelling up to 100 miles a day.
Rightfully so, as the Nissan e-NV200 has a WLTP-approved 124-187 miles on one charge (combined/city cycle). Its battery pack can be charged till 80% using a rapid-charger in around an hour; a conventional wall box will take around eight hours to charge to full. In a statement, DPD expects to charge the vehicles overnight, where it will look to save on recharging costs with lower rates.
In order to maximise the vehicle's range, the company will deploy the EVs each day using its own in-house route calculation and vehicle optimisation systems. Similar to what Basemap is doing with its Electric Vehicle Routing (EVR) software.
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The Nissan e-NV200 has a 4.2m3 load space, which is enough to carry two Euro Pallets. As with most vans, the EV has two sliding doors for easy access and rear doors, too.
Dwain McDonald, DPD’s CEO, commented: “This is a real landmark day in the move to a more sustainable future for the parcel industry. These vehicles are changing the way we work. It isn’t just a case of plugging them in and saying, ‘job done’.
“We are rethinking and re-engineering how we deliver parcels now and in the future with different route networks and new types of depots. It is an all-encompassing revolution for our industry and electric, emission-free vehicles are at the heart of that vision.”
Feedback from DPD drivers so far has been ‘very positive'. Drivers have said to have reported a quiet and relaxing drive. In order to make the transition easier, DPD has spent time on training its employees on how to adapt to driving an electric vehicle.
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Peter McDonald, Fleet Director at Nissan Motor GB, said: “It’s exciting to see a company built on delivering on time and to schedule proving that an electric vehicle can work for them, while also making such a large commitment to reducing their carbon footprint.
We’re seeing increased demand for the e-NV200 as more businesses look for an all-electric alternative. Nissan is able to deliver a fantastic product for them and fast.”
The e-NV200 range starts from £20,005 (including Government Grant) for the entry-level Visia model to £22,665 for the top-spec Tekna.