The first vans are due to enter service in September, with the full batch scheduled to be operational by the end of October. They will be deployed both within the M25 and at locations elsewhere in the UK, ahead of the company’s peak Christmas delivery period.
DPD said the new vehicles will allow it to extend the use of larger electric vans beyond the inner-city areas where much of its EV fleet has so far been concentrated.
According to the company, its electric vehicles currently operate across more than 7,300 UK postcodes. In 2025, DPD delivered more than 85 million parcels using electric vehicles, including a predominantly diesel-free final-mile operation within London’s North and South Circular roads.
Olly Craughan, head of sustainability at DPD UK, said larger panel vans remain central to the company’s final-mile operation.
“The eSprinters can carry the same payload as the equivalent 3.5t diesel while the new battery technology and improved range mean more of our depots can start deploying larger EVs further afield,” he said.
DPD began operating electric delivery vehicles at scale in 2018, when it opened what it described as the UK’s first all-electric parcel delivery depot.
The company said improvements in vehicle technology and charging infrastructure have since supported a wider rollout of electric vans.
The new eSprinters will be covered by Mercedes-Benz CompleteCare repair and maintenance support.
DPD operates more than 10,000 vehicles from 85 UK locations and delivers more than 360 million parcels annually. More than 38% of its final-mile van fleet is now electric, according to the company.
DPD UK is part of Geopost, which has a net-zero target for 2040 validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Alongside its van electrification programme, DPD also uses HVO in part of its HGV fleet and has taken part in a low-carbon rail logistics trial on the West Coast Main Line.
