E-transporter Deutsche Post and Ford introduce StreetScooter XL

Cologne · Deutsche Post and Ford present their joint built StreetScooter XL in Cologne. At some point, the e-scooter could be available for everyone.

Jürgen Gerdes sits at the wheel as the StreetScooter Work XL rolls over the Deutsche Post (DP) grounds in Cologne-Ehrenfeld for a demonstration. Next to Gerdes of the DP Management Board sits Ford's European CEO, Steven Armstrong. Previously, both men had praised the partnership on the electric transporter, which they announced a month ago. "Excellent", says Gerdes referring to their joint venture while Armstrong calls it a "strong partnership".

The car is unmistakably a Ford transit. But on the grill is the logo of StreetScooter instead of the traditional Ford emblem. StreetScooter is a subsidiary of DP. With 250 employees, it also developed two smaller StreetScooters and they are now being built at the Talbot plant in Aachen. It is also where the new transporter gets its electric motor, batteries and a 20-cubic-meter loading space with shelves. The chassis and driver’s cabin adapted for e-cars comes from a Ford factory in the Turkish town of Kocaeli.

"This is exactly the car we need," said Gerdes. The driver can go from the cab to the loading space. It is optimal for frequent entering and exiting. In big cities, there are tight time windows for delivering packages. Gerdes says the Post needs this size of vehicle so it doesn’t have to leave the city to reload.

Pollution in the cities and a growing number of parcel deliveries due to increased e-commerce has prompted DP to focus on e-mobility. Deutsche Post wants to have 2,500 StreetScooter XLs in operation by the end of 2018. Production has now begun and it will be slowly increased. Right now, around 250 employees produce 5,000 vehicles a year. A second shift, with nearly as many workers will begin soon, doubling capacity.

A third shift is also conceivable, says Gerdes. DP has 3,000 StreetScooters in operation and the vehicle is also now offered in the greater market. Even the StreetScooter could be available to everyone at a later date. The market is "huge", according to Gerdes. In 2016, Ford sold 460,000 one or two ton transits worldwide. In Kocaeli alone, around 300,000 transits are built each year. They are also looking for a second production location for the e-cars. It will be in North Rhine-Westphalia but Gerdes did not want to announce an exact location until next month. (Orig. text: Ralf Arenz)

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