27-07-2020
“After COVID-19, climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time and NZ Post is committed to making enduring and long-lasting change,” says NZ Post Chief Executive, and Climate Change Coalition Steering Group member, David Walsh.
NZ Post has ambitious carbon reduction plans, with a dedication to be carbon neutral from 2030. A key part of reducing carbon emissions from our delivery network is moving to safe, sustainable electric vehicles. To achieve this, NZ Post has established a new fund to help delivery contractors buy their own electric vehicles.
“NZ Post already has the largest fleet of electric vehicles in the country, the Paxsters, but most of our delivery drivers are contractors – which means they own their own vehicles and businesses. For many, while an electric vehicle costs far less to run, the initial purchasing cost can be a barrier. Because of this, we’re making up to half a million dollars available each year to help our drivers invest in eco-friendly vans.”
Alongside the fund itself, NZ Post will be installing charging stations in our depots that drivers will have access to – and we are supporting drivers to make informed decisions by commissioning independent Total Cost of Ownership research and advice.
“We’re keen to financially support as many of our delivery contractors to get into electric vehicles as we can. We know that there is not an electric vehicle suitable for every type of delivery operation at the moment, which is why this incentive scheme will be in place until at least 25% of our contracted drivers are in electric vehicles. We are targeting to reach this goal by 2025. This allows our contractors to take advantage of the bigger range of electric vans that will be coming into New Zealand over the next few years.
“NZ Post is absolutely committed to a sustainable future for New Zealand and we’re proud to be making innovative change that will have long term benefits for our environment.”
NZ Post recently announced the start of a $170 million 10 year growth programme, that will double processing capacity from 95 million parcels annually to 190 million parcels. As online shopping looks set to continue to grow in a post Covid world, the number of parcels delivered by our delivery contractors will also continue to increase and our commitment to be carbon neutral from 2030 will be essential.
Source: New Zealand Post