The Royal Mail has announced that it has commenced trialling tyres that aim to increase the range of electric vehicles and reduce non-tailpipe emissions.
The postal service company, the Royal Mail, today announced plans to reduce net emissions across its electric vehicle fleet by trialling more efficient tyres that produces less particulate matter emissions from wear.
The trial will take place at the Royal Mail’s West London Delivery Office adjacent to Wembley. ENSO, who manufacture the tyres, state that they emit fewer micro-particles and extend the EV range by up to 11 per cent, compared to standard tyres.
The trial will see the Royal Mail inspect and weigh the tyres every six weeks to monitor the wear rate and increased range in contrast to standard tyres.
This comes after the Royal Mail released its plans in June to buy 3,000 delivery electric vehicles. Due to their weight, electric vehicles emit higher non-tailpipe emissions compared to internal combustion vehicles.
A 2018 report by Friends of the Earth found that between 9,000 and 32,000 tonnes of microplastic pollution enter British waters annually, with tyre abrasion as a leading cause.
James Baker, chief engineer and fleet director at Royal Mail, said: ‘As a company, we are committed to making changes to our operations that reduce our environmental impact.
‘The trial and potential wide scale introduction of more efficient and environmentally friendly tyres enables us to help achieve this, while allowing us to continue to deliver letters and parcels safely, efficiently and responsibly.’
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