Cambridge will be one of the first cities to benefit from Royal Mail’s new electric vehicles. Royal Mail has launched its first electric cargo cycles, known as the Pedal 4 cycles, with the first 20 to be deployed this month.
These will be delivered to cities including Cambridge, London and Brighton. Using e-cargo cycles will help the mail service to reduce carbon emissions, improve local air quality and make delivery rounds more efficient.
Mark Riley, delivery design manager at Royal Mail, said: “Our new electric cargo cycles mark another important step towards reaching Net-Zero by 2040 and making our delivery network more efficient for the future.
"They will help reduce emissions and improve air quality in the communities we serve, while creating new opportunities for people to join Royal Mail without needing a driving licence.”
The e-buggies have been manufactured at Minimal’s microfactory in West London, amid Royal Mail’s efforts to try and achieve Net-Zero by 2040. The Pedal 4 cycles don’t require a licensed driver, which the company says will open up delivery opportunities to a wider range of people.
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They can run on roads with speed limits of up to 30mph, in cycle lanes, cycle paths, and greenways.
Patrick Bion, chief executive officer at Minimal, said: “Royal Mail operates one of the most demanding delivery networks in the country. Their decision to scale Pedal 4 throughout the UK is the clearest possible signal that right-sized electric vehicles will be central to how we move goods through cities more efficiently.”
Royal Mail plans to deploy more vehicles to other locations in the future.