An Post adds 45 new VW ID. Buzz Cargo vans
An Post has just added 45 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo vans in its latest electric vehicle (EV) fleet roll-out. This marks what it describes as another milestone in its sustainability journey.
In its efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030, with a 50 per cent reduction by 2025, it says that the new, larger ID. Buzz fleet will significantly reduce its contribution to carbon emissions in Irish cities and towns, making a positive impact on the environment.
Of the 3,600 of An Post’s vehicles currently available, 1,000 of them are electric, making An Post the largest EV fleet operator in Ireland. With the introduction of this new ID. Buzz fleet, this number is expected to increase further to 1,250 by Q1 2024.
Having almost 3,900 delivery routes nationwide, 1,250 will be assigned an EV by Q1 2024, representing 32 per cent of An Post’s delivery routes.
With the festive season just around the corner, An Post is estimated to deliver over 10 million packages nationwide over the coming weeks. As 30 per cent of delivery routes are covered by electric vehicles, soon to be increased to 32 per cent by Q1 2024, over 100,000 parcels will be delivered daily, with that figure multiplying closer to Christmas, without contributing to carbon emission levels.
Commenting on the new fleet, David McRedmond, CEO of An Post said: “The rollout of this new Buzz fleet shows our ongoing commitment to a sustainable future for all.
“We’re excited about the positive impact it will have on our environment and the communities and customers we serve as we continue to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the quality of life in Ireland, now and for generations to come.”
The ID. Buzz Cargo
About this time last year, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz (MPV) and the ID. Buzz Cargo (Van) won the 2023 Continental sponsored Irish Car of the Year and the Van of the Year respective titles.
Since it went on sale in January, for the first 10 months of this year, the SIMI statistics shows that 127 of ID. Buzz light commercials were registered. It is not clear if the 45 An Post ID. Buzz Cargo vans are included in these. And a check of the ID. Buzz passenger version sales shows none to be seen. Are they also included?
Since earlier this year, I am aware of an issue with the ID. Buzz Cargo in relation to VRT Category B. Most NI category vans are charged VRT of just €200, if they always had less than four seats and at any time a laden mass greater than 130 per cent of the mass in service.
However, the ID. Buzz Cargo became liable for VRT of 13.3 per cent of the open market selling price (OMSP), which puts it at a price disadvantage.
Hopefully, there will be a more equitable change made by the Revenue Commissioners to the categorising of all new fit for purpose vans. This should be regardless of them originally having been designed as passenger cars/MPVs or as vans/ light commercial vehicles.
Elsewhere
In other news, the An Post HVO (hydro-treated vegetable oil) biofuel trial was expanded from five HGVs in Galway to 12 HGVs in Cork in 2022. They have found that while a more expensive fuel, HVO used 0.5 litres of fuel less per 100km on average than its diesel equivalent. There has been a 91.8 per cent reduction in carbon emissions in the trial.