DPD lays claim to UK's largest electric van parcel delivery fleet

UK parcel delivery company DPD is set to take delivery of 300 new electric Nissan e-NV200 vans by May.

The order will take its electric fleet to 450 vehicles in total, with plans in place to exceed the firm's stated target of 500 by the end of the year, making it the largest EV parcel delivery fleet in the UK. DPD is aiming for 10% of its van fleet to be electric in each of its 68 UK depots by that point.

DPD has been using the Nissan e-NV200 for deliveries over the last 18 months. It says that feedback from drivers has been extremely positive. "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,” says Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO.

“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.”

McDonald is calling on other manufacturers to make affordable righthand drive vehicles available in significant numbers. “These vehicles have been proven in the one of the harshest environments. They are quiet, reliable and they get the job done for us, day in, day out,” he comments.

“This enables us to say to more and more customers, ‘we're delivering your parcels emission-free', which is a key selling point when we are talking to retailers."