DHL unveils electronic delivery vehicle

   DHL has received the go-ahead to operate its StreetScooter electronic vehicles for mail and parcel delivery in Germany.
   The first vehicle will begin delivering mail in Bonn next month, and the company plans to install 50 vehicles around Germany by the end of the year.
   DEKRA awarded the certification for the vehicles. According to the certification firm, the DHL vehicles had to withstand up to 200 stop and starts each day over the course of 300 days each year. Experts also examined the safety aspects of the vehicles and put the cars through their paces on the company’s test track. Before DHL puts them into service, each vehicle will be inspected by DEKRA. 
   According to DHL, the 4.6-meter-long vehicle has sufficient cargo capacity for everyday use. The vehicle has a maximum range of 74 miles. 
   “The StreetScooter is not only carbon efficient and quiet, it has also been developed according to the requirements of everyday postal requirements and so perfectly matches our needs,” DHL’s Jurgen Gerdes said in a statement. “I’m confident that the StreetScooter will also pass the test in our day-to-day operations.” – Jon Ross