AusPost to trial eDV in Victoria

Postal service company, Australia Post, has announced the trial of a new Australian-built three-wheeled electric delivery vehicle (eDV).

The Stealth OzPOD was built in southeast Melbourne and will service residents in Lilydale over a five-week period. Australia Post will test its features in a bid to complement existing electric vehicles in operational use.

Australia Post General Manager Network Optimisation, Mitch Buxton, said Lilydale is a perfect area to trial the new vehicle, with locals increasingly embracing online shopping, and more small parcels being delivered than ever before.

“The Stealth OzPOD has been developed over the past two and a half years, and is designed to cater for Australian conditions, with added safety and stability, wet weather, and gradient and surface measures,’ said Buxton.

"As our business continues to transform, we are equipping our posties to deliver more small parcels. In February we announced an order of 1,000 Swiss-built three-wheeled electric delivery vehicles, so this trial is another example of how we are looking at ways to keep our posties delivering for Australians and supporting local manufacturing businesses.”

The Stealth OzPod has an increased carrying capacity of up to 720 litres and can travel up to 50km/h.

Australia Post will use the trial to review the vehicle’s performance and identify where it can be introduced.

In January, Australia Post positioned itself to be the nation’s largest EV fleet operator, following a new order for an additional 1,000 three-wheeled eDVs.