Australia Post is running two programs at the moment aimed at increasing the use of electric vehicles.

Three-wheel electric delivery vehicles are being trialled as an alternative to the traditional 'postie bike' and secondly, an on-going trial of the Renault Kangoo ZE delivery van.

A new pilot program in Hobart is trialling five, three-wheel electric delivery vehicles. The trial started on 20 March and will run for 12 weeks. Hobart is the first capital city in the country to trial the vehicles which will increase delivery capacity and provide a range of health and safety benefits such as increased stability, whether protection and protection from bird strikes. Transport Tasmania has approved the vehicles with an exemption to ride of footpaths for postal delivery.

The e-vehicle capacity is 195kg, including the driver and 450 litres. This means the new three-wheelers can carry up to 100 small parcels and 1200 letters at a time. This is about three times the capacity of the typical postie motorbike and is well suited to address the increasing demand for parcel delivery generated by on-line shopping. The e-vehicle has a battery range of up to nine hours and a top speed of 45kmh.

Australia Post's Head of Network Optimisation Mitch Buxton said Hobart serves as a perfect starting point to get the pilot underway with locals increasingly embracing online shopping.

"We know that residents in Hobart love online shopping. In fact, the yearly growth rate in this area is above the national average, sitting at 13.8% growth compared to 11.5%," Buxton said.

The trials will expand to Victoria, NSW,  Queensland, SA and WA in April 2017. The electric vehicle is designed by Swiss company Kyburz and is developed and manufactured in Switzerland. The vehicles have been used Germany and Switzerland.

Australia Post is also trialling the Renault Kangoo ZE (Zero Emissions) van. The trial includes four of the plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) and has been running for three years. Cars Guide reports that Renault believes the Aussie Post trial is stimulating interest from other businesses – including local government.

Cars Guide’s review reports the van has a range of between 80 to 120km with a charging time of six to nine hours. The ZE is about 160kg heavier than other Kangoos and has the payload reduced to 650kg. The batteries are stored beneath the cargo floor so the cargo area is not impacted.

The Aussie Post trials are great examples of using new technologies to improve not only environmental performance but also WHS and operational outcomes.