Royal Mail is adding more than 2,000 eLCVs to its existing electric delivery fleet as part of its plans to go net zero by 2040.

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The agreement includes 1,100 E-Partners, built at Ellesmere Port, transformed a year ago into the UK’s first EV-only volume manufacturing plant. The E-Partners will hit the streets this week and mark the first of Royal Mail’s electric vehicles to bear the cypher of King Charles III.

Peugeot is also supplying 1,000 fully electric E-Expert vans as part of the deal.

Under the mega deal, first announced at the end of July, Royal Mail plans to deploy more than half of its new Peugeot electric vans in time for the Christmas ‘peak period’ to enhance service and greener deliveries to customers during the busiest time of the year.

Peugeot has supplied Royal Mail with vehicles since 2009, and electric vans since 2014 when the first E-Partner was delivered to Royal Mail.

The British postal service company had around 5,000 electric vans in operation as of July 2024, said to be the UK’s largest EV delivery fleet.

Royal Mail estimates that the new vehicles supplied by Peugeot will reduce total emissions by around 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year when fully operational.

The business announced earlier this year that it was boosting its road fleet of vans and HGVs in line with its move stop using its fleet of mail trains as of October 2024 and to halve air freight, improving cost effectiveness and reducing emissions.

The electrification of vans is an important part of Royal Mail’s strategy to lower carbon emissions from its vehicles. Royal Mail has also introduced hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to fuel many of its heavy goods vehicle fleet. A renewable alternative to diesel, HVO produces up to 90% less direct carbon emissions compared to diesel. Since introducing the fuel in June 2023, Royal Mail has already saved the equivalent of more than 30,000 tonnes of CO2.

The new Peugeot vans will be charged onsite at Royal Mail’s delivery offices via the company’s 100% renewable electricity supply

Greg Sage, Royal Mail’s deputy director for corporate affairs and ESG, said: “We’re proud that our latest tranche of electric vehicles has been produced at Peugeot’s Ellesmere Port plant. This is an important part of our work to expand the UK’s largest electric delivery fleet and to remain the UK’s greenest delivery company.”

The latest E-Partner features an updated design, new technologies, and an increased all-electric range of up to 213 miles (WLTP). The underfloor installation of the batteries ensures no compromise in load volume, with a volume of up to 4.4m3, while the payload of 780kg and towable weight of 750kg are benchmarks in the segment.

Eurig Druce, group managing director at Stellantis UK and managing director for Peugeot UK, commented: “Peugeot’s electric vans are built in Britain for an iconic British brand and we will continue to uphold this historic partnership and support Royal Mail’s electrification ambitions. Peugeot is equally committed to the electric transition, with the widest all-electric vehicle line-up of any mainstream European brand, while our leadership in electric van sales is proof of our technology and innovation in this market.”