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Deutsche Post phases out electric vehicles

Deutsche Post DHL Group set itself the goal some time ago of phasing out its vehicles with internal combustion engines and building up an electric fleet instead. And yet electric vans are now being phased out again.

Especially for the start-stop traffic that is typical in postal delivery, electric vehicles are much better suited than ordinary combustion engines. And indeed, DP in Germany has come out on top: On the one hand, there were the StreetScooter e-cars produced in-house, and on the other, the more than 12,000 e-bikes, which also include electric tricycles. Up to four tonnes of CO2 are saved per vehicle. Annually, this should amount to a total of up to 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Unfortunately, there have been a few backlashes recently. E-vehicle production, for example, generated high losses in recent years, so that the division had to be sold last October. Operators in Germany's high-altitude regions face a completely different challenge. In the Berchtesgadener Land area, the StreetScooter has difficulties keeping on track in adverse weather conditions such as snow or slush. The driving behaviour is unstable because the vehicles are too light to be able to drive stably on inclines and in snow, according to a company spokesperson. For this reason, the company was forced to switch back to the more powerful and reliable internal combustion engine in this region.

However, this has not changed anything in Deutsche Post's strategy of transforming its fleet. Thus, they will continue to rely on e-vehicles and save CO2 during deliveries.