National postal operator Posten Norge has introduced a 19-metric ton electric lorry on the Svalbard archipelago in Norway.
The lorry was provided by commercial vehicles manufacturer Scania. Before putting it into operation, Posten Norge tested the electric lorry under Arctic conditions on Svalbard for a month. The vehicle passed the testing stage and has joined Posten Norge’s other electric vans, to ensure that logistics operations in the archipelago’s small coal-mining town Longyearbyen are as sustainable as possible.
The introduction of this electric vehicle means that Posten Norge now distributes all parcels, mail and freight in Longyearbyen with EVs and that that the post now has five electric trucks with 65 more on order. At the beginning of 2022, 37% of Posten Norge’s vehicles were powered by renewable energy sources.
Tone Wille, CEO of Posten Norge, said, “A lot of environmental work is about breaking barriers. Posten Norge has begun using the world’s northernmost electric lorry in its regular operations in Longyearbyen, 78° latitude, to the delight of employees and customers, and I hope it’s an inspiration to others.”
