Even Germany’s Post Office Is Building an Electric Car
Why a no-frills postal van spells disruption for the auto and oil industries.
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This boxy, bare-bones van has no air conditioning or radio, no passenger seat and a top speed of less than 50 miles an hour. Yet the electric vehicle’s success has irked the likes of Volkswagen AG.
When Deutsche Post AG couldn’t find a zero-emission delivery van that met its needs, it bought a startup and developed one. Now Europe’s largest postal service may start selling those vehicles — dubbed StreetScooters — to others, showing the potential for disruption in the rapidly changing auto market.