DPD UK takes charge of ten eVito electric vans

Mercedes-Benz has registered further interest in its electric vehicles at home and abroad: DPD will add ten eVito to its British fleet, a first in the UK. Moreover, clients in Germany have procured hybrid transporters and also join the growing circle of eActros truck testing companies.

But first for DPD – the logistics company has added ten eVito vans to the fleet in the UK and are the first customer on the Isle to opt for the electric Mercedes Benz van. The ten EVs will go into operation in London’s Westminster district where DPD operates a micro depot. DPD is planning a further eight all-electric micro depots in the capital, as well as commencing a nationwide roll-out of its EV fleet as soon as possible. “We envisage a major role for the Mercedes-Benz eVito in towns and cities nationwide,” confirmed Dave Winchcombe, head of transport at DPD UK.

An 84 kW electric motor powers the eVito, and customers can choose between top speeds of 80 or 120 km/h. The required energy is provided by a 41.4 kWh active cooled battery, which supplies enough energy to reach a 150 km range (WLTP). A 7.2 kW onboard charger charges the battery in two phases. In case of the DPD vans, Manchester-based specialist Handsfree Group installed DPD’s own communications systems and additional security measures.

Over in Germany, railway company Ruhrbahn has purchased 54 hybrid buses to run across the town of Essen. The order includes 14 solo and 31 articulated vehicles that are expected to go into service as early as next month. Ruhrbahn operates a fleet of around 250 buses.

The journey continues into the Rhine-Main region, where Mercedes-Benz Trucks is sending another eActros onto the roads for real-world-testing: The heavy electric truck is put to practical use by the Rigterink Logistics Group and transports food in inner-city delivery traffic in Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz and other municipalities in the conurbation. The eActros has been on the road since June 2018, and since last September, other companies have started live-testing as well (we reported).

parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com (UK, eVito), daimler.com (Citaro), daimler.com (eActros)