Swiss Post has set ambitious goals for transitioning to a more sustainable future. One of these goals is to have all Postbus vehicles running on batteries by 2040. However, the transition is progressing slowly, with only a fraction of the fleet currently being battery-powered.
As of now, there are merely 20 electric buses out of a total of 2,300. This is despite Swiss Post’s substantial strides toward achieving its climate objectives in other areas. For example, postal workers and package carriers in urban centers like Zurich and Bern exclusively use electric vehicles. Across Switzerland, approximately 7,000 out of the approximately 11,000 postal delivery vehicles have gone electric. The aim is to have all delivery vehicles converted to electric power by 2030.
So, why is the transition to electric post buses taking so long?
One of the biggest challenges is the cost. Battery buses are considerably more expensive than their diesel counterparts. As a result, the offers presented to the cantons include both electric and diesel options. It ultimately falls to each canton to decide when, or if, they want to make the switch. Some cantons continue to opt for diesel vehicles for new acquisitions.
Another challenge is that Swiss Post cannot independently acquire battery-operated postal buses. The cantons must initiate the procurement. This means that Swiss Post is bound by the cantons’ decisions regarding electric vehicles.
Swiss Post’s Path to a Greener Future by 2040
Despite these challenges, Swiss Post remains committed to its goal of having fossil-free post buses exclusively on the road by 2040. The company has set a target of having 100 electric buses by the end of 2024, but this target remains uncertain, as it depends on the decisions of the cantons, which also share the financial burden of the post-bus system.
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