Norway Post testing out Chinese electric van

OSLO - Norway Post said Friday it is testing out a Chinese electric van during the Christmas traffic.

With sufficient range of more than 200 kilometer and load capacity of 11.4 cubic meters, the Maxus EV80 electric cargo van, made by China's Shanghai-based SAIC, is the first electric van of this size for Norway Post, it said in a press release.

The van is also the only one of this type used in the Nordic countries and shall deliver business packages to customers in Oslo, said the postal service.

"We have electrified everything which is possible when it comes to small distribution cars. Now we see how we can do the same with bigger vehicles," said John Eckhoff, press officer of Norway Post.

"The Chinese car manufacturer SAIC is the first to deliver an electric van in this size. Now we will test whether it meets our quality requirements," he said.

Norway Post has a goal to use only renewable energy sources by 2025, and electric vans are one of the measures the company wishes to implement to achieve the target.

"We hope to start regular operation with the electric car in the second half of 2018, depending on the time when the cars can be delivered and service networks created," Eckhoff said.

After the test in Norway, the electric car, which uses a battery of 56 kW, will be tested in Stockholm, where it will be used by Bring to transport goods for Ikea.

Bring is Norway Post's brand aimed at business customers with mail and logistics services in the Nordic region.