The van is based on a Ford Transit chassis fitted with a battery-electric drivetrain and a body designed and built to Deutsche Post DHL specifications.
The postal group anticipates that 150 will be built by the end of this year and used for its urban parcel delivery service in Germany.
The vehicle is being built in the StreetScooter plant in Aachen, Germany. Like StreetScooter’s existing electric models – the Work and Work L – the Work XL could be also sold to third party customers.
Each Work XL could save around five tonnes of CO2 and 1,900 litres of diesel fuel each year. With plans to have 2,500 vehicles in service by the end of next year, this could save Deutsche Post 12,500 tonnes of CO2 and 4.75 million litres of fuel every year.
Jürgen Gerdes, member of the board of management post – eCommerce – parcel, at Deutsche Post DHL Group, describes it as “the perfect vehicle for parcel deliveries in major cities and large urban areas”.
Steven Armstrong, Ford’s group VP and president EMEA, says: “We’re really proud of this ambitious project, and of the strong partnership we’ve developed with Deutsche Post DHL Group and StreetScooter.
“This joint project will be Europe’s largest manufacturer of emission-free, medium-sized e-vans, and it doesn’t come a moment too soon. 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. This project is a great step along this path.”
The Work XL will have a load volume of 20 cubic metres and provide stowage space for more than 200 parcels. 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 and 200km.