Deutsche Post DHL Group and Ford have presented their first jointly produced electric delivery van, called the StreetScooter WORK XL. The vehicle is based on a Ford Transit chassis fitted with a battery-electric drivetrain and a body designed and built to DHL specifications.
DHL plans to build 150 WORK XL vans this year at its StreetScooter plant in Aachen, Germany. The operator will use the e-vans to support its urban parcel delivery service in Germany. Deutsche Post DHL Group, StreetScooter and Ford plan to build 2,500 e-vans by the end of 2018. Like StreetScooter’s existing electric models, the WORK and WORK L, the WORK XL could be also sold to third-party customers.
Each WORK XL van has the potential to save around five tons of CO? and 1,900 liters of diesel fuel each year. With 2,500 vehicles in service as planned, this could result in a total saving of 12,500 tons of CO? and 4.75 million liters of fuel every year.
Jürgen Gerdes, member of the board, Post eCommerce Parcel, at Deutsche Post DHL Group, said, “The new StreetScooter WORK XL expands our e-fleet in the commercial vehicle segment. It is the perfect vehicle for parcel deliveries in major cities and large urban areas, and will enable us to cope with the rising parcel volumes in an even more environmentally friendly and quieter manner. With this commitment, we are also underlining our claim of being the market leader in green logistics.”
Steven Armstrong, group vice president and president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company, said, “We’re really proud of this ambitious project, and of the strong partnership we’ve developed with Deutsche Post DHL Group and StreetScooter.
“This joint project will be Europe’s largest manufacturer of emission-free, medium-sized e-vans, and it doesn’t come a moment too soon. Buses, cars and, of course, delivery vans play vital roles in our daily lives, but we have to find a way to make them cleaner. This project is a great step along this path.”
The WORK XL has a load volume of 20m³ (706ft³) and provides stowage space for more than 200 parcels. The e-van is fitted with a modular battery system delivering 30-90kWh of power, giving it a range of between 80km (50 miles) and 200km (124 miles). With a charging capacity of up to 22kW, the average charging time is three hours.
In addition to the new WORK XL model, more than 3,000 StreetScooter WORK and WORK L electric vehicles, plus about 10,500 pedelecs, are currently in service with Deutsche Post DHL Group, making the group the largest e-fleet operator in Germany.
August 16, 2017