DPD has agreed a deal with vehicle manufacturer Maxus for 750 e Deliver electric vans, which will double its total UK EV fleet.
The deal, which includes 500 long wheelbase 3.5t electric vans and 250 of the smaller e Deliver 3, means that DPD's total EV UK fleet will be almost 1,500, with plans to extend that to over 1,700 EVs on the road by the end of the year.
The parcel giant has purchased both the 72kw and longer range 88kw versions of the e Deliver 9, giving the vans a far greater range than anything previously available in the UK. The 88kw version can cover over 200 miles on a single charge.
The e Deliver 9 will also star in DPD's first ever UK TV advert to help communicate the firm's clean, green parcel delivery solutions.
The order is part of a strategy to be the most responsible and sustainable city centre delivery company and a leader in the move to electric vehicles in the UK.
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In May, DPD announced the roll-out of a major new air quality monitoring programme across six of the biggest cities in the UK. Last October, it confirmed plans to deliver to 25 of the largest towns and cities in the UK entirely with zero and low-emission delivery means by 2025.
DPD head of CSR, Olly Craughan, commented: "We're absolutely delighted with the Maxus. The 3.5t van is the workhorse of any delivery and collection fleet, so to get our hands on an EV with this kind of capacity and range is a real game changer for us. We've got EVs in every DPD depot already, but they are largely focused on quite compact routes, usually in city centres, where range isn't an issue. But this opens up the possibility of clean, green deliveries on a much larger scale.
"We know from our shippers that being able to offer their customers green deliveries is a huge plus point, while the feedback on the doorstep is similarly positive."
Mark Barrett, general manager of Harris Maxus said: "It's a proud and happy moment to see the DPD livery across our brand new EV models, the e Deliver 9 and e Deliver 3, helping couriers across the country deliver packages in the most eco-friendly way possible."
Denise Harris, chief executive of the Harris Group said: "DPD's decision to choose Maxus is an outstanding endorsement not only of the Maxus brand, but also of the professionalism and after sales support provided by the extended Harris Maxus team."
