NZ Post has stamped introduction of battery-dedicated Mercedes vans, intended for Green final mile mail deliveries.

TWENTY-two of 60 Mercedes electric vans ordered by NZ Post appear ready for work, with the reminder of the order set to be fulfilled before year-end.

The e-Vito Panel Van chosen runs a single electric motor in the front axle produces 85kW and 360Nm, with Mercedes-Benz claiming the 60kWh battery pack can deliver a driving range of up to 262km on the lenient NEDC lab testing cycle.

The full retail for the two-seater commercial model, which has only just arrived for general sale, is $101,487.

With the deal said to be worth $20 million, it obviously encompasses more than just the vehicles themselves. At the time of order it was the largest single overseas request of electric Mercedes-Benz vans by a commercial operator.

The first consignment went on show today at NZ Post’s Auckland Operations Centre, Highbrook, today.

The vehicles will be offered to contractors as replacements for diesel and petrol vans used by NZ Post and some of its delivery partners for last mile delivery.

NZ Post says the bulk purchase enabled it to overcome supply chain challenges in accessing the electric vehicles. It says this was made possible through an arrangement with New Zealand Green Investment Finance, with each contributing $10m.

The Panel Van model offers a cargo load volume of six cubic metres thanks to its 2398mm long, 1709mm wide and 1392mm high loading space, capable of carrying up to 882kg with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 3200kg.

Charging from zero to 100 per cent using the 11kW AC home charger takes roughly 6.5 hours, while an 80kW DC fast charger can take the van from 10 to 80 per cent battery in 35 minutes.

Drivers can use the vehicle's steering wheel paddles to manually choose between four regenerative braking modes, with an automatic setting utilising a radar sensor to adjust the regenerative setting based on the flow of traffic.

Dawn Baggaley, NZ Post’s group sustainability manager, acknowledged transport is one of the largest sources of emissions in NZ at 17 percent.

“Our ambitious carbon reduction target aims to have all our own fleet and a quarter of our last mile delivery contractor fleet electric by 2025 – with the balance of the contractor fleet electric by 2030.”

“Electric vehicles cost a lot less to run, but the initial purchasing cost can be a barrier.

“Teaming up with NZGIF and offering this competitive finance deal means our contractors can shift into electric vans sooner rather than later. There are over 2000 vans in our own fleet and contractor fleet for last mile that we will be transitioning over to electric to meet our science-based target.”

In addition to the base panel model, Benz has released e-Vito in a passenger format with eight seats, and a higher output (150kW/365Nm) powertrain, for $127,030. It also has an eSprinter and EQV, for $130,900 and $166,350 respectively.