The Government is pleased to announce the replacement of all Royal Gibraltar Post Office vehicles to brand new electric vehicles in line with the Manifesto commitment for a Green Gibraltar.

This will make the Royal Gibraltar Post Office the first public Postal Service in the world to have a fully electric fleet of delivery vehicles.

After an expression of interest issued by the Government in December 2016, Bassadone Motors were the only ones to apply to replace the HMGOG fleet in its entirety. The Government has therefore entered into a leasing arrangement to replace its current fleet of thirteen vehicles. These are already seventeen years old and are not EURO 6 standard.

The Government will pay £5,167 a month for seven years for these thirteen vehicles (coming to approximately £397 per vehicle) and will then either buy the vehicles at a much lower price or have them replaced by brand new vehicles, more advanced vehicles, paying the same amount monthly.

The all-electric postal vans are being rolled out as from this week and will deliver mail across all areas of Gibraltar. The electric vehicles will allow the Postal Service to deliver letters and parcels safely and efficiently in the most environmentally friendly way possible and help preserve the beauty of Gibraltar, both in terms of carbon emission and noise.

Although the top motivation to go electric is the environment, the second biggest driver is the lower total cost of ownership when you factor in both direct and indirect costs and the savings over the life of the vehicle. The electricity charge is around one fifth as much per kilometre as buying petrol. The saving on fuel on the average usage of the RGPO fleet will therefore partly pay for the leasing cost. Additionally, given that electricity is generated from LNG, pollution is significantly reduced also.

Minister for Postal Services and Transport, Vijay Daryanani MP, said: “I am pleased that we will be launching the first fleet of fully electric vehicles in Gibraltar and that the Royal Gibraltar Post Office will be the first public Postal Service in the world to have a fully electric fleet. These new electric vehicles will allow us to have our mail delivered pollution free. It will also help us reduce the emissions on a daily basis compared to normal petrol vehicles. I am excited to see these environmentally friendly vans on our roads in line with our commitment to provide a cleaner and greener Gibraltar. This is part of the Government’s vision to improve the lives and air quality for all Gibraltarians. This is an excellent arrangement for the Post Office and the Tax Payer. Making these important changes to the way we move around the Rock is testament to Government’s commitment in safeguarding the environment for future generations.

At the same time financially, the Government has not had to pay for the vehicles upfront and this leasing arrangement will allow us to continue having the most up-to-date vehicles and to have them properly maintained and serviced. I am delighted to have delivered on this manifesto commitment”.

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