Austrian Post: Even in challenging times, we are sticking to our course

Austrian Post is on the verge of a historic milestone: By the end of the year, all deliveries in Vienna will be made exclusively on foot, by bicycle or e-vehicle and thus CO₂-free.

Around 700 electric vehicles are already in use today, well over half of the almost 1,100 vehicles used in Vienna. With the complete conversion to e-mobility, Vienna will become the first European metropolis in which parcels, letters, brochures, newspapers and magazines are delivered completely CO_2-free on the last mile. To this end, Swiss Post is investing around 32 million euros in charging infrastructure and e-vehicles.

Walter Oblin, CEO of Österreichische Post AG: “Even in challenging times, we are sticking to our course and consistently pursuing our sustainability strategy. With the nationwide switch to e-mobility in Vienna, our federal capital will become the first European metropolis of this size in which all postal items are delivered exclusively on foot, by bicycle or electrically. This investment underlines our commitment and is an important milestone on the way to a climate-friendly future.”

Peter Umundum, Member of the Management Board for Parcel & Logistics, Österreichische Post AG: “With around 700 e-vehicles, more than half of our fleet in Vienna has already been converted to e-mobility. By the end of the year, we will install the last charging stations and put another 400 e-vehicles into operation in Vienna. This means that by the end of the year, more than two million inhabitants will be serviced CO_2-free on the last mile – this is unique in Europe!”

POSTAL DELIVERY IN VIENNA
Letters, brochures, newspapers and magazines are delivered via a total of 17 delivery bases in the city of Vienna, plus three parcel delivery bases within Vienna and a location in Hagenbrunn to the north. When completed, more than 1,500 delivery drivers will be able to travel CO_2-free every day, on foot, with e-bikes, e-mopeds or e-transporters.

ELECTRIC DRIVE AND PHOTOVOLTAICS: SWISS POST VEHICLES AS A ROLLING POWER PLANT
Swiss Post’s e-fleet is not only by far the largest in the country, it is also growing rapidly. Since 2022, only electric vehicles have been purchased in delivery, with around 1,000 new electric vehicles being added every year. The Austria-wide e-fleet currently consists of over 5,000 e-vehicles. By 2030, Swiss Post will convert its entire delivery fleet of 10,000 vehicles to electric drive and deliver all consignments completely CO_2-free.

Swiss Post already produces some of the electricity required for this itself: photovoltaic systems with a total capacity of over 18 MWP have been installed at 34 locations throughout Austria, which means that the balance share of electricity from renewable energy sources is more than 20 percent. This makes Swiss Post one of the largest domestic system operators – excluding energy suppliers – and could already charge 3,000 electric vehicles with solar energy today. The vision for the future: an e-fleet that can store the energy and feed it back into the grid.