Deutsche Post and Ford form electric van partnership

Ford and Deutsche Post have formed a partnership to build battery-electric vehicles for urban delivery operations.

Deutsche Post has already designed and produced the emission-free StreetScooter. This new partnership will focus on a larger vehicle type.

The chassis of the Ford Transit provides the technical basis. It will be equipped with a battery-electric drive train and fitted with a special body construction based on Deutsche Post and DHL Paket specifications.

Production is due to start in July 2017, and the partners expect to build at least 2,500 vans by the end of 2018.

“E-Mobility and innovative traffic solutions for urban areas are key focuses for us as we transform our business to meet future challenges,” said Steven Armstrong, group vice president and president Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company.

“As the leader in commercial vehicles in Europa, this partnership plays perfectly to our strengths and in StreetScooter and the Deutsche Post DHL Group we have a partner with enormous competence and a worldwide network.”

The partnership is expected to become the largest manufacturer of battery-electric medium-duty delivery vehicles in Europe.

In addition to the new assembly line the existing manufacturing of the StreetScooter models will be expanded. StreetScooter is planning to manufacture 20,000 units per year of its small electrical delivery van in different versions in Aachen and another site in North Rhine-Westphalia.