Postal electric buses have already traveled 150,000 km
Since November of last year, Poczta Polska has been using 20 Japanese Nissan e-NV200s for long-term rental and service. The vehicles can be seen on the streets of Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Poznań, Szczecin, Warsaw, and Wrocław.
The vehicles are receiving positive reviews from Poczta Polska drivers and are also well-received by customers, primarily due to their environmental benefits, such as the lack of exhaust emissions and noise. Driving them requires some adjustments to driving habits due to the simple selection of driving modes, the high torque enabling very smooth acceleration (significantly better than conventional vehicles), and the ability to recover energy through regenerative braking. Compared to conventional vehicles, there are fewer checkpoints, for example, there's no need to check the engine oil level. In six months, 20 electric vehicles have already traveled approximately 150,000 km.
The Nissan e-NV200 is equipped with an 80 kW electric motor and a 40 kWh battery, enabling a top speed of 123 km/h and a city driving range of 301 km according to the WLTP cycle. The vehicles can be charged with alternating current (AC charging, also from a 230V socket) or direct current ("fast" DC charging). The vehicle has a payload of 742 kg, and the cargo space has a volume of 4.2 m3 . The vehicles are equipped with features such as a regenerative braking system and a parking assist system (reversing camera). The vehicles are white and marked with the Poczta Polska logo, with a distinctive marking indicating that the vehicle is electric.
The Nissan rentals were preceded by electric car tests, which the company had been conducting since 2018. Two years ago, vehicles from seven manufacturer brands, with payloads of up to 800 kg, participated. For three months, Poczta Polska drivers tested, among other things, driving characteristics (e.g., acceleration, speed, braking, maneuverability), driving comfort and ergonomics, battery charging methods, and the maximum mileage possible. At the same time, in addition to the vehicles, various types of charging stations provided by their owners were also tested. In mid-May of last year, further tests of electric vehicles up to 3.5 tons of permissible gross vehicle weight, this time with a payload exceeding 800 kg, were completed. Eight vehicles from brands available on the Polish market participated. At the turn of June and July 2019, Poczta Polska tested tractor units powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Poczta Polska is the largest logistics operator in the country. Poczta Polska employees have at their disposal 6,000 vehicles with a capacity of 0.5–24 tons. Over 30,000 postmen and couriers deliver several million parcels daily.