DPD has taken the first in a 300-strong order for Nissan e-NV200 electric vans, accelerating its plans to create the UK’s largest EV parcel delivery fleet.

All 300 Nissan e-NV200 electric vans will be live on the DPD fleet by May 2020

The delivery giant is planning to have 500 EVs by the end of the year, with the 300 e-NV200 vans to be live by this May, joining its existing 150 EVs.

According to CEO Dwain McDonald, the order marks a real landmark day in the move to a more sustainable future for the parcel industry.

However, he reiterated calls made in the firm’s white paper late last year for more vehicle manufacturers to make more righthand drive EVs available for the UK market.

McDonald said: “Credit to Nissan who have stepped up and made affordable righthand drive vehicles available in significant numbers, but we can take far more, if other manufacturers do the same.  These vehicles have been proven in the one of the harshest environments. They are quiet, reliable and they get the job done for us, day in, day out.  This enables us to say to more and more customers, ‘we’re delivering your parcels emission-free”, which is a key selling point when we are talking to retailers.”

DPD has been using the Nissan e-NV200 successfully for deliveries over the last 18 months. Feedback from drivers so far has been extremely positive, and the company has developed its own in-house training to help drivers adapt to electric vehicles, as part of a comprehensive vehicle handover programme.

By the end of 2020, the business is aiming for 10% of its van fleet to be electric in each of its 68 UK depots, supported by its 500-strong fleet.

DPD’s strategy to be the most responsible and sustainable city centre delivery company and the leader in electric vehicles in the UK has also seen it open the UK’s first all-electric parcel depot in Westminster in October 2018 while in November last year it launched a purpose-built, bio-mechanical hybrid electric-assisted quadracycle called the EAV P1.