Austrian Post takes delivery of 10 Renault electric vehicles

Motor manufacturer Renault has delivered 10 of its Kangoo electric vehicles to Austrian Post for use across the particular landscape of Austria. The addition of the zero-emission vehicles comes as part of a long-running relationship between Renault and Austrian Post, which started in 2004 with the postal service taking on 180 all-wheel-drive Kangoo vehicles for use in alpine areas.

“We are delighted to build on our successful cooperation with the Austrian post office with the Kangoo ZE,” said Guillaume de Vulpian, the director general of Renault Austria. “With the Kangoo ZE we can provide our partners once again with a vehicle that is unique on the market.”

Austrian Post now has 18 electric vehicles, 100 electric bikes and 75 electric mopeds within its fleet of 9,000 vehicles, laying claim to the largest alternative vehicle fleet in Austria.

Walter Hitziger, Austrian Post’s director of mail, said: “By 2015 we plan to integrate more than 1,000 electric vehicles into the fleet. The final expansion of the electric fleet depends on the technical availability and suitability of vehicles for the postal business, but also by the funding environment.”

Kangoo

The Kangoo ZE is a compact commercial van that Austrian Post said was particularly suited to the urban environment.

Driven by a 44kW (60hp) motor and powered by a 22kWh lithium-ion battery, the vehicle has its drivetrain spread across the floor to maximise available cargo space, Austrian Post said.

Hitziger said: “All our letters, packages and advertising mail has carbon-neutral delivery already in 2011. Our total carbon dioxide footprint is being reduced to zero through a three-stage process.”

Renault is set to deliver 10,000 of its Kangoo electric vehicles to France’s La Poste by 2015, thanks to a major order backed by the French government, designed to spur on the development of mass-produced electric vehicle technology.