Parcels, letters, print media and advertising mail in Salzberg is now being delivered electrically thanks to the rollout of 193 e-vehicles by Austrian Post. The e-vehicles are powered by green electricity from Austrian Post’s photovoltaic systems and green electricity from Austria.
The €6m (US$6.45m) investment in the e-vehicles is part of Austrian Post’s wider sustainability agenda that promises CO2-free delivery throughout Austria by 2030.
“The rapid introduction of CO2-free delivery by Austrian Post in Salzburg is an impressive example of sustainable innovation and environmental protection,” explained Stefan Schnöll, deputy governor of Salzburg.
Parcels are delivered directly from the Thalgau logistics center, while letters, print media and direct mail items are delivered from two delivery bases in the Salzburg city area. Austrian Post has also installed 126 charging stations as part of its investment.
“Our strong commitment to sustainable logistics is becoming visible step by step in Austria,” commented Peter Umundum, chief parcel and logistics officer, Österreichische Post AG.
“Salzburg is now the third provincial capital, after Graz and Innsbruck, where we deliver CO2-free. Every year, we cover around 1,900,000km in Salzburg purely electrically, saving more than 180,000 liters of diesel.”
Fossil-free in Mönchsberg
Last-mile delivery in the Mönchsberg district of Salzberg is the only exception to this electric delivery initiative – it requires a four-wheel drive vehicle for year-round delivery, which also has to fit through a narrow, historic archway. As there are currently no suitable electrically powered commercial vehicles with all-wheel drive on the market, Austrian Post will refuel this delivery vehicle with hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO) as soon as it is available in Salzburg.
Largest e-fleet in Austria
With more than 4,000 e-vehicles now the country’s roads, Austrian Post has Austria’s largest electric vehicle fleet and has purchased only e-vehicles for delivery since 2022.
The Austria-wide e-fleet consists of more than 1,200 e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, e-mopeds and e-trikes as well as more than 2,700 e-transporters. By 2030, Austrian Post will convert its entire delivery fleet of 10,000 vehicles to electric drive and deliver all consignments CO2-free.
In addition, Austrian Post is also converting its transportation logistics trucks to HVO renewable fuel. In the province of Salzburg, the HVO-fueled trucks already cover more than 5,000km per day.