BMW Group Australia has equipped its company-owned dealership, BMW Sydney and MINI Garage Sydney, with a fully electric van as part of its day-to-day operations.
The new van, an LDV eDeliver 9 finished in a distinctive livery, has joined the dealership’s fleet to deliver Genuine BMW Parts and Original BMW Accessories to selected locations in the Sydney metropolitan area including Accredited BMW Bodyshops.
The fully electric van has a driving range capability of 280km on the WLTP cycle and accommodates a substantial cargo capacity of 10.9m3 with a 1410kg payload. Between jobs, its high-voltage battery is recharged using one of the on-site BMW Wallbox chargers.
It will be trialled for three months, during which BMW will assess its operational viability and explore the potential to increase the number of EVs on the road to complete delivery and collection jobs.
BMW Sydney and MINI Garage Sydney Dealer Principal Peter Kallitsis said onboarding of the van would fulfil both practical and strategic purposes.
“There are numerous advantages to a fully electric van on an operational level, chiefly zero tailpipe emissions and noise reduction,” Mr. Kallitsis commented. “This has benefits for our roadways and provides a cleaner option for our staff when they are working around the van and loading or unloading cargo in confined indoor areas.
“However, it also contributes in a meaningful way to the BMW Group’s global goal to reduce C02 emissions across the entire value chain – of which logistics are a key element – by 40 percent from 2019 levels by the year 2030.
“We look forward to seeing how the van performs during the trial phase as we consider all facets of our business and how we can all play an important part in lowering emissions while maintaining a high level of efficiency,” Mr. Kallitsis added.
