There’s no doubt that electric vehicles are on the rise and now the postal service in New Zealand has succumbed to the trend.
A postal company, New Zealand Post is to invest $15m New Zealand Dollars over the next two years to buy electric vehicles in hopes of gaining an advantage over other postal companies, as well as helping them deliver a more efficient service to their customers.
Ashley Smout, a service delivery chief operator at New Zealand Post stated: “The vehicles will give us extra capacity to meet the growing demand created by online shopping and give us an edge in the competitive parcel delivery market.”
He added: “They’ll allow us to be more efficient and over time enable new and convenient services to residential customers such as parcel pick-ups, returns and re-directions.”
The vehicles are in fact, so small in size that they are able to drive on pavements despite carrying up to 200kg.
You may also be surprised to find that these little electric buggies have a top speed of 45km/h and a range of 80-90km, which is very useful for delivering parcels in residential areas and in larger populated areas.
The vehicles have already been trialled in Taranaki and on the roads of Auckland and Wellington and the first batch of 50 vehicles are due to arrive in the country by the middle of 2016.
Smout added: “Trials have shown the eco-vehicles are safe to use on the footpath, our drivers receive safety training and give way to all other footpath users.”
The only question now is; who will next be converted towards the electric alternative?
Photo: RNZ / Max Towle