Lietuvos paštas takes a step towards electrification
Ian Kerr
Lithuanian postal operator Lietuvos paštas has leased two new 100% Volkswagen Crafter electric vans for use in the centre of Vilnius.
The vans will be used to deliver items to post offices and sometimes to customers. Two charging stations have been installed in Lietuvos paśtas’s new logistics centre specifically for these vehicles.
Last spring, many urban posties were equipped with electric bicycles - 210 in total. The post has a fleet of about 600 vehicles.
The new electric Volkswagen Crafter vans have a range of 115km (loaded) and will be on the road during the day for shifts of eight hours or more. In Vilnius, electric vehicles can access special lanes and free parking.
Is the mobile post office next?
Lietuvos paštas offers a mobile post office service. The service is offered via a fleet of 440 vans travelling an average of 100km per day.
The mobile post offices often travel to remote parts of Lithuania, which might contribute to range anxiety for postal employees if they were using electric vehicles.
The fleet of mobile post offices is new, so when the vehicles are ready for replacement let’s see if electric vehicles are part of the mix.
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