CASE STUDY

1. Organisational Overview

Australia Post is a government owned corporation providing postal services nationwide. With an extended workforce of more than 63,000 people, they deliver more than 2.5 billion items each year. The organisation operates a significant vehicle fleet throughout Australia, and they now operate the largest electric delivery fleet of over 5,100 vehicles. A core focus for them is achieving net zero emissions by 2050, which includes rapidly expanding the electric vehicle fleet to lower carbon emissions and operating expenses.

2. Fleet Overview

Part of the existing street delivery fleet is 5,000 Honda CT 110 motorbikes. This fleet has been customised with bespoke delivery bags for different types of mail and parcels. Usually, these bikes are operated for 30,000kms before upgrading, however due to the existing product being discontinued, and no clear alternative to meet the change in environmental policy, the fleet had exceeded its standard tenure.

In looking to replace this fleet, outside of the obvious benefits of moving to electric motorbikes such as emission reduction and quiet operation, Australia Post had a key set of criteria in assessing potential products:

• Rider safety - ensuring that every rider gets home every day
• Compatibility - being able to fit new bikes with the existing delivery bags and system, which have been designed over time as part of the wider delivery infrastructure
• Ease of use and rider comfort - on a bike ridden 5-6 hours per day
• Speed and range - matching the existing product while delivering new carbon and operational fuel savings.

3. The UBCO Solution

The conversation between Australia Post and UBCO began in November 2022, with trials opening in 2023. The brief required a rear-wheel-drive electric motorbike capable of travelling approximately 100km, at a maximum speed of 85kph in order to safely travel arterial routes, from urban streets to rural roads. The existing UBCO 2X2 provided a strong platform to build from.

The UBCO Product Development team worked in collaboration with the Australia Post fleet team to evolve the 2X2 to meet and exceed the brief. In mid-2023 mail delivery field trials were conducted in Melbourne, Sydney and Tasmania.

In early 2024 a contract was signed committing to an initial order of 175 DUTY motorbikes. The DUTY bikes will be deployed across all states and territories, setting a new standard in sustainable motorcycle delivery solutions for Australia. The new electric DUTY fleet will further support Australia Post in reducing emissions, lowering operational costs and enhancing delivery performance, all while prioritising the safety of its team members. The new motorbikes also expand Australia Post’s capability to electrify routes that were previously challenging for three-wheel electric delivery vehicles (eDVs) to access.

Speaking at the launch of Australia Post’s new DUTY fleet on 26 August 2024, Australia Post CEO and Managing Director, Paul Graham, highlighted the significance of the new fleet.

This is a pivotal moment for Australia Post and demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and forward-thinking technology. This new fleet allows us to electrify a broader spectrum of routes, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and further advancing our sustainability goals. We are proud to integrate cutting-edge solutions that benefit our team members, our customers and the environment.

This significant milestone for UBCO reinforces the strength of the 2X2 platform in evolving new variants tailored specifically to fleet partner requirements. An important part of the process was collaboration between teams, as well as the speed of development – built on years of pioneering upgrades to the 2X2 and resulting in a next generation product.

Australia Post is a further confirmation of UBCO as one of the only electric motorbikes in the world that is designed to meet the specific requirements of large-scale fleet operators. It has opened discussions with other delivery fleets, including NZ Post and DX Mail, and reinforces fleet as a key part of UBCO’s global growth strategy.

“The partnership with Australia Post reinforces UBCO’s commitment to fleet across product customisation, manufacturing delivery and service support. Fleet at scale is our focus to deliver real impact across both operational carbon reduction and fuel efficiency.” says Oliver Hutaff, UBCO CEO. “The significant growth forecasted in the global delivery sector, alongside ongoing city policy changes to reduce congestion by removing large vehicles from central city areas, presents a significant opportunity for UBCO in this space.”