Parcel delivery firm DPD has ordered 1,000 E-Transit vans from Ford, taking its fleet to more than 2,500 electric vehicles (EV) in the UK.
DPD has purchased the 3.5-ton, 135kWh, long wheelbase version with 12.4m3 of load space. The vans will operate from depots across the UK network, with the first vehicles arriving later in May.
In addition to its EV fleet, DPD has also invested in a series of recycling and circular economy initiatives that resulted in the company being named ‘Sustainable Business of the Year’ at the Business Champion Awards in London.
Olly Craughan, head of sustainability, DPDgroup UK, said, “Getting our hands on the electric Ford Transit feels like a really big moment. Three-and-a-half-ton vans are the workhorse of any delivery fleet, and we are no different. We’ve said all along that we need the main commercial van manufacturers to step-up with affordable models and large-scale production of right-hand drive vans to really get the EV revolution going in the UK. And Ford have done just that. The E-Transit is well priced, has a good range and comes with all the support you would expect from Ford.
“People really appreciate what we are doing with electric vehicles and all our other green initiatives. It is the same with our big retail customers too. They want to see their parcels delivered on green DPD vans, because they know their customers really appreciate it too. This order is a big step forward in terms of electrifying our whole fleet and becoming ‘the greenest delivery company on the planet’,” he said.