Deutsche Post is to start testing 15 Mercedes-Benz Vito E-Cell vans from the autumn. The vans use battery-electric drives and will be used in the mail delivery service.
The joint pilot between Mercedes and Duetsche Post will test the vans over four years.
The vans will be used in the mail delivery service where the low daily mileage and stop-start traffic is expected to demonstrate the advantages of electric drives.
Testing will monitor the performance of battery technology and charging behaviour. It is funded by several German government programmes.
Joachim Wessels, of Deutsche Post DHL’s mail divisional board, said: “With its battery-electric drive, the Vito E-Cell offers the possibility to reduce CO2 emissions, pollutants and noise significantly in the future.”
Deutsche Post DHL now has about 2,500 vehicles with hybrid drives, electric motors and alternative fuels in use around the world.
