Parcel delivery company DPD Ireland plans to electrify its vehicle fleet over the next three years, and has begun implementing its plan by introducing electric trucks on its Dublin routes, with the tag ElectriCity.
The ElectriCity plan will be introduced at other urban locations as DPD acquires more electric vehicles, helping create more jobs the the company which expects 20% growth this year.
DPD will hire 150 more staff within the next year, 30 of which will be part of the plan to electrify, bringing the total staff number to around 1,300.
Chief executive Des Travers said: “DPD will be the first parcel delivery company to have an electric depot. Through ElectriCity, 15 parcel delivery routes in Dublin will become all-electric. By the end of this year, as part of our bid to reduce our carbon output, DPD will have saved more than 20 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted, as a result of moving to an electric fleet.”
Climate action minister Richard Bruton said that transitioning to a low carbon economy will require more sustainable choices and leadership from industry. "By investing in electrifying their fleet, DPD are putting sustainability at the heart of their business and leading the way. This announcement will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality but also puts DPD’s business on a more sustainable footing.”
In Association with
Ten electric trucks have gone into service in Dublin as a beginning to the plan, with 15 more on order.
Travers added: “While there is an urgent push to move to electric, from a commercial perspective it is still difficult to procure appropriate vehicles. It is our intention to have electric vehicles stationed in all of our depots in three years.”
DPD is investing €3.2m in the ElectriCity scheme, including vehicles, hiring, staff training, and new depots. The company has 34 depots in Ireland with a main sorting hub in Athlone. Turnover in 2018 amounted to €91.5m in 2018 and form says it delivered more than 20 million parcels.
Photo: Des Travers (left) and Richard Bruton.
