“In February 2023, following on from Bern and Zurich, Geneva will be the third major city in Switzerland, and the first in Western Switzerland, where 100% of letter and parcel deliveries will be made by three-wheeled scooters and electric delivery vehicles,” explains Philippe Juillard, Head of the Geneva distribution zone. “The transition programme for Swiss Post’s delivery fleet is ambitious. As a company owned by the Confederation and with its position in this open market, Swiss Post has a duty to set an example for others to follow.” This development also plays a role for Swiss Post’s customers. “Thanks to the electrification of our delivery fleet, which enables us to switch to resource-efficient logistics, our customers are also able to reduce their CO₂ footprint.”

Almost a million parcels have already been delivered in Geneva using electric vehicles

Launched in 2019, the transition to electric four-wheel delivery vehicles became a reality from mid-November 2023 for deliveries in the city of Geneva and the major industrial areas of Vernier, Meyrin, Carouge and Plan-les-Ouates. “We were immediately able to test the effectiveness of this new feature during the important end-of-year period,” says Philippe Juillard. “We have a total of 85 vans and 120 three-wheeled electric scooters.”

For Swiss Post, electric delivery involves many challenges, some of which have been overcome, but others remain. On the one hand, there is a limit to the distance a vehicle can travel today as a result of technological developments. “In Geneva this isn’t a big problem, as distances are short due to the central location of the Montbrillant delivery site”, says the head of the distribution zone. On the other hand, the question of charging infrastructure can prove to be complex. “In this case, we had to adapt the electrical installation to the new requirements so as to guarantee the operation of the 45 charging stations.” Of the 455 or so Swiss Post delivery offices in Switzerland, around 142 have now been fully equipped with charging stations. 100% of the electricity consumed by Swiss Post’s delivery network is produced using renewable energies, and is “naturemade star” certified.

Today it’s the largest fleet of electric vehicles in Switzerland

Swiss Post has set itself ambitious objectives and a programme for sustainable development. This is what the public expects of a company that is the driving force behind Switzerland. Swiss Post generates most of its CO₂ emissions from transport and buildings in order to meet the needs of its customers. One of the important steps towards achieving these objectives – namely, full carbon-neutral operation from 2030 and zero emissions for the entire company from 2040 – is the electrification of the delivery vehicle fleet.

Information:

Laurent Savary, Head of Public Affairs and Communication for Western Switzerland, 058 386 46 33 or 076 568 23 22, laurent.savary@swisspost.ch

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