Deutsche Post DHL Group and Ford presented the first of their jointly produced electric delivery vans – or e-van – today in Cologne, Germany, called the StreetScooter WORK XL, to complement their pre-existing electric van offerings; the WORK and WORK L.

Deutsche Post DHL and Ford unveil StreetScooter WORK XL electric van

Based on a Ford Transit chassis and equipped with a battery-electric drivetrain, the body was designed and built to Deutsche Post DHL specifications. Deutsche Post DHL plan to use the e-vans to support their urban parcel delivery service across Germany.

According to the company, around 150 early build vans will be manufactured in the StreetScooter plant in Aachen, Germany, this year. In 2018, Deutsche Post DHL, StreetScooter and Ford plan to produce 2,500 e-vans.

StreetScooter add that all their electric van models are available to third-party customers.

Each WORK XL could save around five tonnes of CO2 and 1,900 litres of diesel fuel each year, the company says.

The e-van is fitted with a modular battery system delivering 30 kWh to 90 kWh of power, giving it a range of between 80 km (50 miles) and 200 km (124 miles). With a charging capacity of up to 22 kW, the average charging time is estimated as around three hours, predict StreetScooter.

The WORK XL model offers more load space than its sister e-vans, with a load volume of 20 cubic metres (706 cu.ft) compared to the WORK with 4 cubic metres (141 cu.ft) and the WORK L 8 cubic metres (282 cu.ft). In addition, the company points out the WORK XL’s load area is also accessible from the driver’s cab, unlike the WORK and WORK L models. There is also a tailgate and a kerb-side sliding door.

Jürgen Gerdes, Member of the Board of Management Post – eCommerce – Parcel, at Deutsche Post DHL Group, said: “[WORK XL] is the perfect vehicle for parcel deliveries in major cities and large urban areas, and will enable us to cope with the rising parcel volumes in an even more environmentally friendly and quieter manner.”

In addition to the new WORK XL model, more than 3,000 StreetScooter WORK and WORK L electric vehicles, plus about 10,500 pedelecs, are currently in service with Deutsche Post DHL, making the group the largest e-fleet operator in Germany, according to StreetScooter.

Steven Armstrong, group vice president and president, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Ford Motor Company, said: “This joint project will be Europe’s largest manufacturer of emission-free, medium-sized e-vans. Buses, cars, and of course, delivery vans play vital roles in our daily lives, but we have to find a way to make them cleaner.”