Royal Mail to trial twelve fully electric 'micro' vehicles in UK cities
Mon 20 September 2021
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Royal Mail has announced plans to trial two types of micro electric vehicles to be used for deliveries to a number of UK towns and cities in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas and polluting emissions.
The vehicles - the Paxster Cargo and the Ligier Pulse 4 - are around the size of a golf buggy or quad bike and will be assessed in residential areas as a potential lower carbon alternative to larger vans, which are typically shared by two posties. The trial will assess whether giving two posties access to separate vehicles could provide greater flexibility on busy routes in a more environmentally friendly way.
With a load size of between 1.2m3 and 2.0m3, the vehicles can accommodate more than an average daily round’s worth of letters and small parcels. The vehicles are charged using a standard three-pin plug, making charging more flexible.
Once the trial period has ended, Royal Mail will decide whether to roll more of these vehicles out across its fleet.
The Paxster Cargo is is 2.4 m long and just over a metre wide with a central seating position and handlebar steering. It has a top speed of 28 mph and a battery range of 88 miles and can charge in around 9 – 10 hours from a standard 3-pin socket.
The Ligier Pulse 4 is slightly larger than the Paxster Cargo at just over 3m long with a width of 1.8m. It has a steering wheel with left-hand drive, a top speed of 28 mph and a range of 74 miles. It can be charged in around 8 – 10 hours.
Commenting on the Action Plan and the Royal Mail initiative, Zemo Partnership Chief Executive Andy Eastlake said: "Royal Mail is an icon of the UK's streets and this initiative in the powered light vehicle sector is a great example of the opportunities for smaller lighter and more energy efficient electric vehicles to become a key pillar of transport decarbonisation overall."
Related news: Zemo Partnership is collaborating with the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) on an Action Plan for Powered Light Vehicles. The Plan will be launched on Tuesday 7th December (18:00 to 20:00) at Motorcycle Live, the NEC, Birmingham. (For more information, contact Zemo Partnership.)
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