Renault will supply Kangoo Z.E. and ZOE vehicles, with the first four Z.E. vans to be delivered by the end of this year.

The contract follows on from a partnership forged between the two companies in 2011, in which DHL Express manages the logistics of battery shipments to Renault’s Z.E. centres across France.

Renault said the latest agreement with DHL Express will help with the overall development of electric vehicles in France.

François Guionnet, the director of Renault Parc Entreprises, said: “Renault is particularly proud to take part in this key stage of DHL’s GoGreen programme, which aims to reduce the carbon emissions of DHL by 30% by 2020.”

Michel Akavi, CEO of DHL Express France and François Guionnet, managing director of Renault Parc Entreprises, with one of the new electric Kangoo vehicles

Renault launched its range of zero tailpipe emission vehicles in 2011, and currently claims a market share for electric vehicles in Europe of about 28.5%.

The Kangoo Z.E. was launched in October 2011, with 5,249 vehicles sold up to the end of September.

A number of postal and express delivery operators are already trying out the vehicle, including Estonian Post, An Post, Deutsche Post and Austrian Post, while France’s La Poste has ordered 10,000 of the vehicles as part of a government partnership to propel the technology forward in the fleet market.

The new ZOE arrives this autumn, as a compact vehicle offering a range of about 150km (93 miles) on a single charge in suburban conditions, with reports suggesting the vehicle will have a retail price of about EUR 20,700.

Source: Post&Parcel/Renault

Tags: carbon emissions, DHL Express, Electric Vehicles, France, Renault