DPD Germany has unveiled its plans to trial two newly-developed fully-electric vans from vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen (VW) until the end of 2018.
The VW e-Crafter vehicles will be tested in the center of Hamburg, Germany, in the St Pauli and Sternschanze districts. DPD will experiment with alternative delivery methods and will subsequently provide VW with feedback from using the vehicle in daily operations.
Gerd Seber, group manager sustainability and innovation at DPD Germany, said, “In inner-city areas DPD is constantly testing new drive systems and delivery methods aimed at providing local parcel deliveries which are free from emissions.
“We’re delighted that in the VW e-Crafter we can test a model from our preferred vehicle class. In view of the continuing discussion of access restrictions and driving bans in inner-city areas, suitable series-produced vehicles of this size are becoming more important than ever.”
With its electric drive and maximum range of up to 160km (100 miles), the VW e-Crafter is especially suited to parcel delivery operations in the inner city. The lithium-ion battery is fully-integrated into the floor of the vehicle, maximizing the vehicle’s load capacity of 10.7m³ (378ft³). Depending on the goods which are carried, the maximum load varies between one and 1.75 tons.
The VW e-Crafter is being tested as part of DPD’s ‘Driving Change’ initiative and is the first fully-electric model operated by the company in the vehicle class up to 3.5 tons. At the same time DPD is working on further alternative delivery concepts in support of the emission-free inner city. One example is the use of transport bikes in combination with micro depots within urban delivery areas.
March 6, 2018