Major Logistics Company Expands Electric Freight Vehicle Production

GERMANY – EUROPE – Catching up to previous reports we hear that, due to the success of their StreetScooter electric vehicles, the Deutsche Post DHL Group has announced that it plans to double the production capacity from 10,000 to as many as 20,000 by the end of the year. For this purpose, the company will commission another production location in North Rhine-Westphalia and will announce further details in due course.

In addition, the company is now also selling its own electric vehicles, which have so far been optimised for postal operations and delivery purposes, to third parties. At least half of this year's annual production is planned for sale to external prospective buyers of the vehicles. Deutsche Post DHL Group sees municipal authorities, strategic partners and large fleet customers in Germany and the rest of Europe in particular as potential initial buyers. The company also aims to at least double its own StreetScooter fleet from the current number of about 2,500. Jürgen Gerdes, board member for Post - eCommerce - Parcel at Deutsche Post DHL Group, said:

"The large demand for the StreetScooter and our own ambitious climate-protection goals have encouraged us to further expand our commitment in the area of electro-mobility and to also make our expertise available to others. As a result, we are confirming our aspiration to remain the engine of electro-mobility and to become market leader in green logistics.”

The annual production of StreetScooter vehicles is to be divided in roughly equal parts between two models, Work (with around 4m³ load volume) and Work L (with circa 8m³ load volume). The prices for the StreetScooter Work start at €32,000 for the basic ‘Work Pure’ version. If requested, StreetScooter GmbH also provides the appropriate charging infrastructure to accompany it.

The next-largest delivery vehicle, which has a load volume of approx. 20m³, the ‘Work XL’ is expected to come onto the market at the beginning of 2018 and then also to be sold externally. The e-bikes of StreetScooter Work S and e-trikes Work M can now also be acquired by third parties. Deutsche Post DHL Group has declared that it plans to reduce all of its logistics-related emissions to zero in net terms by 2050.