DPD ramps up electric vehicle plans and calls for faster industry adoption

DPD has significantly scaled up its plans for operating electric vehicles (EV) by boosting its fleet numbers to 500 by the end of next year.

The parcels carrier has also called on manufacturers, energy providers and the government to work together to help the industry move faster towards widespread EV adoption.

DPD has published a white paper with an eight-point plan it said would radically accelerate the pace of change – including vehicle manufacturers making more right-hand drive EVs available in the UK.

The paper said the government needed to streamline and remove bureaucracy from the registration process for alternative fuel new-to-market vehicles; local authorities, London boroughs, TfL and other stakeholders must engage final mile operators to establish micro-depots and that policy makers should create consistent clean air, ULEV and zero emission zone standards.

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DPD also intends to grow its current fleet of 139 electric vehicles to 500 by the end of 2020.

CEO Dwain McDonald said: “The decarbonisation of transport fleets is challenging, both operationally and financially.

“DPD has already made large financial commitments to purchase commercial electric vehicles and change operating models to help reduce emissions and congestion for the benefit of the society we live in. But it isn’t happening fast enough, so we need to remove the barriers that are slowing the pace of change.

“We want to invest but we can’t get the vehicles we need fast enough, while warehousing and distribution space is being pushed out of our city centres and there is limited financial support for new green vehicles.

“We cannot do this alone. We need stakeholders from across a range of industries to work together in a holistic way to create an infrastructure that makes large scale EV deployment feasible.”