Deutsche Post stated it would think about widening an electric van alliance with U.S. automaker Ford Motor after collaborating to put zero-emissions delivery vans on the road.
Germany, the primary market for the automobiles, is clamping down on harmful diesel fumes, and revealed a 500 million euro ($587 million) fund this month to assist municipalities invest in less polluting vehicles.
It would make good sense to “think of further activities” with Ford, Deutsche Post board member Juergen Gerdes stated, as the two companies showed their delivery van, the StreetScooter Work XL, for which Ford is providing auto technology, based on its Transit model.
Advances in manufacturing software are erabling car market beginners such as Deutsche Post, Google and start-ups to tap providers to design, engineer and test new automobile concepts without working with thousands of engineering personnel or investing billions in tooling and plants.
Deutsche Post at first developed an electric minivan called StreetScooter for its own operations to prevent urban emissions after development in online shopping resulted in increased parcel deliveries.
However in April it rivaled automakers by revealing strategies to step up production and sell to other delivery companies.
The group stated it would ultimately sell the new model being constructed with Ford elements to third parties as well.
The model, which contributes to the present StreetScooter Work and Work L vans, belongs to a plan to construct another production site for the StreetScooter unit and double yearly output to 20,000 vans by the end of the year.
Board member Gerdes stated Deutsche Post would likely select the place for the second production site next month.
Deutsche Post, which is likewise building a country-wide network of repair and maintenance stores, wants a fleet of a minimum of 2,500 of the Work XL model on the road before 2019.
