Posti team wins 2023 IPC Drivers’ Challenge

Steering ahead. Tomi Virrankoski and Marko Enberg (Posti) are the winners of the 2023 IPC Drivers’ challenge, which featured 12 teams from European postal operators using only full electric vehicles for the first time.

Teams from bpost (Belgium - 2), Correos (Spain), CTT Portugal Post (Portugal); Le Groupe La Poste (France - 2), Posti (Finland), PostNord (Denmark), PostNL (the Netherlands - 3), PostNord (Sweden-Denmark) and Swiss Post geared up on 7 and 8 February in Zandvoort, the Netherlands for the sixth edition of the IPC Drivers’ Challenge.

All-electric

All posts sent their best teams, mostly selected through national competition or continuous measurement of driving behaviour. For the first time, all components of the Drivers’ Challenge were performed exclusively by fully electric vehicles.

IPC said that the teams were submerged in all aspects of the postal delivery chain. The atmosphere was friendly, though competitive and all teams displayed an excellent level of professionalism and dedication in each of the competition subcategories.

The Finnish team excelled in all aspects of the competition, and rightfully took this year’s IPC Drivers’ Challenge trophy home. Teams from Belgium and the Netherlands ranked second and third respectively. As in previous editions, participating teams consisted of a professional driver and a postal manager.

Tests in this edition of the IPC Drivers’ Challenge included:
• a theory test
• a series of car checks 
• a challenging combination of car handling exercises, 
• a 37km-long eco-driving route combining the Zandvoort racing track experience and the surrounding villages and dunes.  
• A 25km-long delivery route combining driving and the delivery exercise on the public road.

Other awards

Two other awards were also presented this year, an eco-driving efficiency award, rewarding the team who performed best in eco-driving, and managed to drive in the most energy-efficient way and a sportsmanship award, for the team that showed the best attitude, fair play and motivation, fully in line with the focus of the IPC Drivers’ Challenge on staff engagement.

Stijn Aerts and Joeri Custers from bpost displayed excellent driving behaviour in the electric VW ID. Buzz Cargo and were rewarded the efficiency award, while Valon Bega and João Pedro Gouveia Lopes Henriques, who led by example in displaying great team spirit and a positive attitude, were rewarded the sportsmanship award.

Back on the road

Looking back at the event, Holger Winklbauer, CEO of IPC, said: “After being postponed for several years because of the pandemic, we are very pleased to be able to once again organise the IPC Drivers’ Challenge with the higher ever number of participants, showing the growing awareness among postal employees of sustainability and eco-driving. For the first time, the event is fully electric, reflecting the postal industry’s commitment to increasingly replace their fleet with alternative-fuel vehicles.”