Posties' new quad bikes are yellow and green

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.normandyadvertiser.fr/2010/0 ... and-green/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The yellow postal van winding its way through Normandy’s towns and villages could become a rare sight under new plans to make La Poste more eco-friendly.

The central sorting office in Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët, Manche, has become the first in the region to test out a new generation of electric quad-bikes that are designed to cut fuel usage and ease the strain on postmen (facteurs).

The €13,000 yellow and white vehicle has a round, aerodynamic design, two seats, a windscreen and roof to keep out the Normandy rain – but no doors, making it easier for drivers to hop on and off.

Up to 150kg of mail can be stored in the boot – at least six times more than a walking or scooter round, thereby reducing the need for repeat trips back to the sorting office to stock up on more mail.

With a maximum speed of 50kph, the quad is ideal for urban and suburban routes – while the longer and hillier rounds will still be carried out by cars and vans.

The vehicles will start to be seen on some of the sorting office’s 61 daily rounds in the southern Manche, which between them amount to 7,000km of travel each day.

If the tests prove successful, 220 of the vehicles will be introduced all over Basse-Normandie by late 2012.

La Poste’s head of distribution in Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët, Bruno Davy, said the trial was part of a bigger initiative to encourage post delivery drivers to be more conscious of their impact on the environment.

He said the group wanted to “promote responsible driving and make postmen the ambassadors of eco-friendliness”.

Since 2008, all the sorting office’s 109 drivers have been trained in how to make their rounds more fuel-efficient: no sudden stops and starts, intelligent gear changes and regular maintenance of each vehicle.

“The goal is to reduce our fuel use by 5%,” he said. “We are on the right track – and the drivers use the same environmentally friendly techniques for their private journeys.”

[andy2007]

That sounds like a good idea. It'll be interesting to see if they turn out to be effective.