DPD Netherlands will test Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles in cooperation with the Dutchcarrier Holwerda Distributie en Transport to further sustainable driving.
As part of the pilot project, DPD will operate three Mercedes-Benz CNG vehicles in the region ofJoure, a town in the Dutch province of Friesland, on a daily basis that are run entirely on naturalgas.
Holwerda Distributie en Transport is responsible for the DPD parcel delivery within thecatchment area of Friesland operating from the depot in Joure.
Michael van Ooijen, CEO of DPD Netherlands, said: “The Friesland region, Groningen and Drenthesee a future in ‘green’ driving and therefore Joure is the ideal location for the CNG pilot. DPDwants to contribute to the realisation of these counties’ ambition to have a hundred thousandvehicles running on sustainable fuels by 2015”.
DPD said that using natural gas instead of gasoline can reduce CO2 emissions by 20-25%. Thedistance that the CNG vans can cover is limited to 270 – 300 km per day. These vans are thereforeideal for inner-city transport. This sustainable mode of transport is not only beneficial to theenvironment but also for the drivers as they are thus less exposed to harmful CO2-gases, thecompany added.
DPD is constantly looking for new opportunities when it comes to creating a sustainableenvironment, both in terms of transport as in distribution sites. Recent activities in thisdirection include the opening of new DPD distribution centres in Veenendaal and Etten-Leur. Theoffices in these centres are designed in a completely CO2-neutral way.
In addition, DPD has previously introduced the LVZ eco combi and the Mercedes-Benz VitalE-CELL.
