SingPost promises more sustainable mail delivery with its electric delivery vehicles

Singapore's roadmap to lower vehicular emissions is adding an extra notch in its belt, with SingPost joining in on a growing pledge to sustainability. 

As reported by The Straits Times, the postal service and courier company announced today that it has begun a pilot run with two electric scooters and two electric vans, as a preliminary step towards further electrification of its fleet.

The company's current internal combustion engine vans (including the thus far-evergreen Toyota Hiace) will likely be replaced by the BYD T3 electric van, while the company will turn to the RAP IONA as the electric successor to its current bikes. Both electric vehicles are said to boast carrying capacities that rival their predecessors, on top of having more than sufficient ranges on a single charge to carry out a full day of deliveries.

Singaporeans are probably no longer strangers to the name BYD - the Chinese brand has been incrementally establishing its presence in the EV industry for a while now - but the RAP IONA may draw more than a few confused looks. Its parent company, Singaporean automotive start-up AVEVAI, was founded in 2018 and describes itself as a "future urban logistics solution provider" committed to environmental sustainability. Apart from the RAP IONA, AVEVAI's all-electric line-up also includes vans, trucks and other road bikes. 

To make it crystal clear that the newer vehicles have zero tailpipe-emissions, SingPost is also rolling out a new green livery on them - a departure from the signature dark blue colour associated with the company.

With a goal for all of its light vehicles to be fully-electric by 2026, SingPost joins local transport group, SMRT, alongside a swelling number of big local players who have announced grand plans to convert their fleets.