Deutsche Post has started the series production of the StreetScooter electric vehicles with the aim to manufacture the first 2,000 vehicles by the end of 2016 and could replace up to 30,000 of its “normal” vehicles with StreetScooters in the long term, a Deutsche Post spokeswoman told CEP-Research.
She explained: “Electric vehicles are suitable for certain types of delivery. We can’t just throw away our normal vehicles and turn towards electro mobility but we need to see exactly where we can deploy them. Theoretically, up to 30,000 vehicles in our delivery fleet could be replaced.”
She stressed that replacing the vehicles will be a longer and gradual process, also depending on when the current contracts for diesel vehicles, older vehicles, will expire. “We will then slowly start deploying other vehicles in a continuous way. But we have set no date yet when this process will be completed.”
While the company is currently producing the StreetScooters for its own delivery fleet, it is considering the possibility of selling its electric vehicles to businesses in the long run. “It is theoretically possible, but we are not looking into this yet. We are generally interested in the commercialisation and some organisations have already approached us saying they would also like to have the vehicles. But right now we are serving our own needs,” the spokeswoman said.
“It is a vehicle that we developed in a very short time together with the University of Aachen and it is now the third production run. We are looking continuously at what we can improve, e.g. the settings of the seat. This vehicle lives from the feedback of our delivery staff and we work closely together. They tell us from their experience with the vehicle what was good and what can be done differently. We have been adjusting little things whenever necessary,” the spokeswoman continued.
“We also regularly check if the technology is stable as this vehicle is still very young and hasn’t been produced for ten years or so. If there is a problem with one single vehicle, e.g. due to weather conditions, we try to find out if this just a one-off issue with this particular vehicle or a systemic problem. Should it be systemic, we adjust all the vehicles accordingly,” she added.
Currently, Deutsche Post is satisfied with the third generation of the StreetScooter. “But if we see, let’s say in 2-3 years, that some things should be adjusted or done differently, we don’t exclude producing a new series with upgraded vehicles.”
Deutsche Post DHL and StreetScooter GmbH, a former start-up committed to developing affordable electric vehicles and a spin-off of Aachen University in North Rhine-Westphalia, started their cooperation in 2011 and developed the dedicated StreetScooter. The first prototype of the StreetScooter for Deutsche Post was unveiled in 2012, with the first pre-series vehicles having been put into service in 2013. At the end of 2014, Deutsche Post DHL acquired the German firm StreetScooter GmbH to build its own vehicles using the know-how of StreetScooter GmbH.
