Australia Post's cash-splash for EV delivery trial

Yahoo

16 hours ago

Next time Australia Post turns up with your mail, you might notice a major change in the appearance of the delivery van. The government enterprise has announced the purchase of 36 electric vehicles from European luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, and each will be painted in familiar red tones, but with the addition of a graphic showing an electric plug and a sign that reads "I'm Electric".
The purchase represents the largest trial of electric vans at this scale by the company, and is part of a plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050. With the popularity of online shopping continuing to grow, the company says it's important to become more sustainable.
To help meet this target, each EV will be powered by charging stations owned by Australia Post that are run on renewable energy, which will be delivered via a mix of onsite solar panels, purchases of electricity, and the voluntary surrender of Renewable Energy Certificates.
How much do the EV vans cost?
eVito vans retail for close to $100,000 each, meaning a purchase like this would cost a consumer well over $3 million. But how much Australia Post's purchase actually cost the taxpayer is unknown, as it has declined to disclose the amount, maintaining that the information is "commercial in confidence".
The vans were purchased outright from Mercedes-Benz and are now owned by Australia Post. The company did not disclose whether insuring these vehicles would cost more, and would only advise that it would be done under 'existing fleet management agreements'.
'The investment in electric vans is part of a broader package of sustainability initiatives supporting a reduction in our emissions as we target Net Zero,' its chief sustainability officer Richard Pittard said via email.
In August last year, Australia Post announced it was deploying 175 electric motorbikes across its fleet and said they would be more agile than the three-wheel electric delivery vehicles it was already operating.
Where will the new Australia Post vans be used?
Where the vans will be used has not been disclosed, but it will be around metropolitan centres. And according to stats provided by Mercedes-Benz to Australia Post, the vehicles will have a range of 283km. Because they have fewer moving parts, Australia Post believes the EV vans will have lower maintenance costs, and at the end of their use, they'll be sold onto the secondhand market.
'The eVito vans are being deployed to selected facilities nationwide, chosen for adequate charging capacity and suitability for a range of delivery routes,' Pittard added.
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