– It is a milestone that is passed.
Kenneth Tjønndal Pettersen, press manager at Posten Norge, is brilliantly pleased that the distribution on Svalbard is now more environmentally friendly.
– Now we have come so far that we will only use electric vehicles in Longyearbyen. This means that all distribution of mail, parcels and goods will be fossil-free, says Pettersen.
The world’s northernmost electric truck
The 19-tonne truck was put into operation on Svalbard on Thursday this week. This is how it becomes the world’s northernmost electric truck in ordinary traffic.
In advance, the charging infrastructure has been expanded. But the press manager makes no secret of the fact that there has been tension about how the electric truck will withstand the cold in the archipelago.
– It has been important to have it in test there for a month under really polar conditions. Then we have tested the capacity, says Pettersen.
He hopes that the investment in Svalbard will be an inspiration, and believes that a barrier will now be broken.
– This is important for our customers and our employees. And we hope that it will inspire others to think big in environmental work. There are many barriers that are broken. Many have thought that this is not possible.
To become more environmentally friendly
The project is part of Norway Post’s commitment to phase out fossil fuels in its car fleet. In the long run, all the group’s vehicles will run on electricity, hydrogen or gas.
During the year, we bought our latest fossil van for use in the city. Next year, there will be a stop to the purchase of fossil vans outside the cities, says Pettersen.
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