Royal Mail has introduced its 8,000th electric vehicle into service, marking a major sustainability milestone.

The fully electric van joins 48 others already in use at Nottingham North Delivery Office, strengthening Royal Mail’s position as the country’s largest electric delivery fleet.

The EV landmark comes just seven months after Royal Mail added its 7,000 electric van to its fleet.

Stuart Murphy, Royal Mail’s head of fleet transformation, said: “Reaching 8,000 electric vehicles is a proud moment for Royal Mail. This achievement reflects our commitment to reducing emissions and delivering an even more sustainable postal service in every community across the UK.”

In June, Royal Mail announced a strong reduction in its average carbon emissions per parcel delivered – already the lowest in the industry – by a fifth (20%) in the past year, strengthening its position as the UK’s greenest parcel operator. The company has pledged to reach net zero by 2040 as part of its ‘Steps to Zero’ environment strategy and has set interim targets to 2030.

Royal Mail’s electrification journey began in December 2017, when it purchased its first 100 electric vehicles and deployed them in delivery offices across the UK. Now, almost a quarter of Royal Mail’s delivery offices use electric vehicles for deliveries and collections. Nearly all of the company’s electric vans are charged onsite across its property estate via a purchased 100% renewable electricity supply and all are zero-emission at the tailpipe.

Royal Mail also unveiled the first of over 100 micro electric vehicles (MEVs) at the Lady Mayor’s Show in London last month, in a major step forward to both reduce carbon emissions and boost delivery speeds. In total, 104 MEVs are being rolled out in London, Bristol, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Solihull, Brighton and the Scilly Isles, just in time for Christmas.

The latest Royal Mail EV was unveiled by Michael Payne, Member of Parliament for Gedling, as Royal Mail pulls out all the stops to deliver for customers at the company’s busiest time of the year. Nottingham North Delivery Office has recruited 14 additional seasonal staff and hired nine temporary vehicles to ensure letters and parcels reach customers in time for Christmas.

Michael Payne, MP for Gedling, said: “It was fantastic to have the opportunity to personally thank the hard-working local Royal Mail staff here in Gedling, who do a brilliant job not only at Christmas but all year round. I was honoured to be able to unveil the 8000th electric vehicle in their fleet and I was very pleased to get the chance to sit behind the wheel myself.”