Emissions Cut – Trial A Success For NZ Post’s Electric Light Truck

A light electric truck has come out with top marks after NZ Post trialled it for six months, making significant savings on fuel costs and dramatically cutting carbon emissions.

A recent report details the performance of the FUSO eCanter, which NZ Post has been operating between its North Shore Operation Centre and Silverdale Depot, north of Auckland, for the trial.

Sustainability and Property team members Maddie Ashby - Senior Environmental Manager, and Cees Ebskamp – Energy Manager, have analysed performance data and declared the vehicle “a great success.”

They hope the findings from their report will be helpful to other contractors within the NZ Post network as well as other companies in the delivery and transport sector.

“Learnings will help enable NZ Post to rollout low carbon technology in the transport network,” says Group Sustainability Manager Dawn Baggaley.

The trial resulted in large fuel cost savings of 77.3% lower than the diesel equivalent (as the electricity costs from charging the truck are much lower than diesel fuel) as well as carbon emissions savings (down by 86.5 % on a diesel equivalent).

An estimated output of 15 tonnes of carbon has been avoided during the six-month trial period.“Over the course of a year, that’s roughly the same as removing seven passenger cars off the road,” says Baggaley.

Ajay Kumar, the driver, said the eCanter truck is quiet, very nice to drive and he likes that there’s no longer a need to go to petrol station. He receives plenty of positive feedback from the public on the use of the quiet, clean truck too. 

Background

NZ Post received co-funding from the government’s Low Emission Transport Fund, administered by EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) for the eCanter and charger infrastructure.

“The smaller eTruck is an area of particular interest for NZ Post and the Fuso eCanter presents a great opportunity to trial short-haul deliveries which are often hard to navigate around tight roads and streets for the larger fleet,” the report says.

The report highlights NZ Post’s ambition “to support our fleet to move to alternative technologies such as eVans and eTrucks to help create a low-carbon future and realise the benefits they provide to the contractors (lower weekly costs) and the communities in which they operate (lower carbon emissions, less local pollutants and noise).”

The Transport team are keen to explore options to expand the current run, and to investigate whether another FUSO eCanter truck can be trialled elsewhere in NZ Post’s delivery network.

NZ Post has one of the largest EV delivery fleets in the country, including more than 400 Paxsters - the award-winning electric delivery vehicles used by its posties. The company also launched the first hydrogen truck for commercial use in New Zealand in last July. The Hyundai XCIENT FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) will save 170 tonnes of C02 per year from being emitted into our environment, displacing approximately 100 passenger cars.

Find out moreabout NZ Post’s sustainability goals and successes.

© Scoop Media