Around 1.9 million kilometers per year purely electrically
Vienna/Salzburg (OTS) – In July 2023, the Austrian Post announced its CO2-free delivery in Salzburg, and the changeover took place less than a year later: As of now, 193 electric postal vehicles are on the road in Salzburg. Parcels, letters, print media and advertising mail are now delivered electrically over the last mile. The electric vehicles are powered by green electricity from the post office’s photovoltaic systems and green electricity from Austria.
“The rapid introduction of CO2-free delivery by the Austrian Post in Salzburg is an impressive example of sustainable innovation and environmental protection. This measure actively contributes to reducing emissions and sends a clear signal for future-oriented, environmentally conscious logistics. Furthermore, it shows “This initiative shows that we can make a significant contribution to climate protection through joint efforts and investments in green technologies,”
said Stefan Schnöll, Deputy Governor of Salzburg.
The “Green Salzburg” is an important step for the postal service on its sustainability agenda, as it promises CO2-free delivery throughout Austria by 2030.
“Our strong commitment to sustainable logistics is becoming visible step by step in Austria. Salzburg is now the third state capital, after Graz and Innsbruck, where we deliver CO2-free delivery. “We cover around 1.9 million kilometers purely electrically in Salzburg every year, saving more than 180,000 liters of diesel,”
explains Peter Umundum, Board Director for Parcel & Logistics, Österreichische Post AG.
Parcel delivery takes place directly from the Thalgau logistics center. Letters, print media and advertising mail are delivered from two delivery bases in the Salzburg city area. The post office has set up 126 charging stations and put 193 electric vehicles into operation. The total investment costs amount to around six million euros.
With fossil-free fuel to the Mönchsberg
An exception is delivery at Mönchsberg: This is the only district in Salzburg that requires a four-wheel drive vehicle for year-round delivery, which also has to fit through a narrow, historic archway. Since there are currently no corresponding electrically powered commercial vehicles with four-wheel drive on the market, the post office will fill this delivery vehicle with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO) as soon as it is available in Salzburg. HVO is a renewable fuel made from waste, fats, vegetable residues and vegetable oils. According to the manufacturer, up to 90 percent of CO2 emissions can be saved over the product life cycle compared to fossil diesel.
Largest e-fleet in Austria: Post operates over 4,000 e-vehicles
More than 4,000 Swiss Post electric vehicles are on Austria’s roads. The Swiss Post’s e-fleet is not only by far the largest in the country, it is also continuing to grow rapidly. Since spring 2022, only electric vehicles have been purchased for delivery, and up to 1,000 new ones are added every year. The Austria-wide e-fleet consists of more than 1,200 e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, e-mopeds and e-trikes as well as more than 2,700 e-vans. By 2030, the postal service will convert its entire delivery fleet of 10,000 vehicles to electric drive and deliver all shipments CO2-free.
The Swiss Post already produces some of the electricity required for this itself: 28 photovoltaic systems with a current output of around 9.54 megawatt peak (MWp) are in operation across Austria. The Austria-wide expansion this year will be around 15 MWp. Only green electricity from Austria is purchased.
In addition, the post office is also converting its transport logistics trucks to the renewable fuel HVO. In the state of Salzburg, trucks filled with HVO already cover more than 5,000 km a day.
Questions & Contact:
Austrian Post AG
Ingeborg Gratzer
Head of Press & Internal Communications
Tel.: +43 57767 – 32010
presse@post.at