Electrifying la Poste

French post office gives big boost to electric vehicle market

They will probably still drop elastic bands on the path, but French posties are set to become cleaner and greener thanks to La Poste’s decision to order 10,000 electric delivery vehicles. The ministry of industry claims that this will be the largest single order of electric vehicles the world has ever seen. Tenders are being invited from European companies for an initial 500, to be operational by 2008.

Tests on eight models from manufacturer SVE have shown them to be six times cheaper to run than the current diesel delivery vans, which will allow La Poste to slash its current €70 million (£47.5 million) fuel bill. The move would also cut annual CO2 emissions by up to four tonnes per vehicle.

La Poste will have to go some, to keep up with the US Postal Service, which currently has 37,000 alternative fuel vehicles in operation. The Royal Mail is currently experimenting with LPG vehicles in London and Perth, as well as trialling electric vehicles in Oxford and biodiesel in Normanton. - Iain Aitch