La Poste’s CEO Jean-Paul Bailly has unveiled the first ten of the previously ordered 10,000electric vehicles to be deployed by 2015 for the collection and distribution of mail across France
to accelerate the development of low-carbon technology sector in the country.The French postal operator expects to be operating as many as 1,600 of these zero-emissionvehicles by the end of 2012 and will then gradually increase their number to 10,000 over thefollowing three years, giving it the world’s largest fleet of electrical vehicles.
Bailly was asked more than 18 months ago by the French government to form a group to co-ordinateorders from large companies interested in acquiring electric vehicles. The invitation to tender wasentrusted to the public procurement organisation UGAP. At the end of October, La Poste decided toorder the electric vehicles from the major car manufacturers Renault and Peugeout.
The Renault Kagoo ZE was judged to be the best solution in the category of light commercialvehicles with a loading volume of 3 cubic metres, while the Peugeot Ion was judged to fulfil theother category: a compact two-seater vehicle with a load volume of 1 cubic metre.
La Poste is the largest participant in the joint initiative with 18 of France’s largestcompanies, which together will buy more than 15,000 Renault Kagoo ZE vehicles and 3,000 Peugeot Ionvehicles over the next four years.
The company wants to promote its environmental commitment with a new mark to appear on allelectric cars with the inscription “close+green” (French: proche+vert). “Close” is meant in thesense that the eco-friendly cars will allow the drivers to be closer to customers reaching smoothly“the hearts of the cities” with the vehicles. They also improve the working conditions of thedrivers through a smooth and quiet drive. In addition, they are easily to manoeuvre providing easydriving in the city centre. “Green” refers to La Poste’s large-scale use of zero emissions vehiclescontributing significantly to reducing noise pollution in cities.
With 10,000 cars and thousands of electric quads to be deployed by 2015, La Poste will have thelargest fleet of electric vehicles in the world. It has set itself three key goals which includebecoming the benchmark in sustainable urban logistics, to reduce its CO2 emissions by 20% perhousehold served and to improve the working conditions of its delivery staff.
La Poste already has the largest industrial fleet in France with more than 50,000 vehicles andis operating 270 electric cars all over the country. With a million miles already covered byelectric cars, the results are positive in terms of sustainability. The batteries of the vehiclesused for distribution of mail and parcels in the morning and collection in the afternoon arerecharged at night with no harmful CO2 emissions.
