Britain's leading business-to-business express delivery company, TNT, today launched the world's largest fleet of zero emission vehicles, enabling it to reduce its carbon footprint by 1.3 million kg of CO² a year.

TNT's new 100-strong fleet of unique battery-powered 'Newton' style delivery trucks will replace diesel equivalents over the next 18 months. The amount of CO² saved by the environmentally-friendly 7.5 tonne lorries will be enough to fill Wembley Stadium.

The Newton models, manufactured by Smith Electric Vehicles in Tyne and Wear, are the first ever pure electric vehicles in their class that can compete in performance terms with diesel equivalents and, at the same time, deliver a 100% reduction in CO² emissions and exhaust air pollutants at the point of use.

The first tranche of 50 trucks will initially operate from TNT locations in London, Basildon, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Enfield, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Luton, Northampton, Oxford, Paisley, Preston and Wolverhampton. In addition, TNT is also piloting other Smith Electric battery powered vans and trucks in the Netherlands, with a view to rolling them out across its wider European operations.

Peter Bakker, TNT CEO, said: "We are living in times of great change and the launch of the fleet represents a critical component in what we are striving for - to make TNT the first zero emissions express and mail company.

"Global warming is the biggest issue the world is now facing. As a transportation company TNT contributes to this problem, which is why we are constantly looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint. State-of-the-art electric vehicles are a great alternative to those that use fossil fuels, especially in urban areas."

The new fleet further consolidates TNT's position at the head of the 'green league' in the transportation sector. In 2007, TNT topped the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index achieving an overall rating of 91 out of a possible 100 - the highest recorded score of any company on the DJSI. The feat was all the more remarkable given the nature of TNT's business.

TNT Express Services, in partnership with vehicle manufacturers, Smith Electric Vehicles, is unveiling the first trucks in the £7 million 'green fleet' at the London Wetland Centre.
The achievement followed the launch, last August, of TNT's global environmental programme - Planet me. It seeks to engage with the company's 161,000 employees worldwide - their families and friends, as well as contractors and suppliers - to substantially decrease their carbon footprint both at work and at home. TNT in the UK already derives up to 22% of its energy requirements from renewable sources and is keen to increase these levels in future.

The partnership with Smith - the world's largest manufacturer of road-going commercial electric vehicles - is a key strand in TNT's environmental strategy, and follows months of trials in London.
Costing just 7p per mile in electricity to run, the Newton also represents a significant saving in fuel costs and, as the most powerful electric truck ever built, the Newton has a top speed of 50mph and a 70-mile range from one single battery charge. It is designed to replace diesel trucks that operate exclusively in urban areas, thereby helping improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Darren Kell, Chief Executive of the AIM-listed Tanfield Group plc, which owns Smith, said: "Our vehicles answer the most pressing questions facing urban road transport today, namely rising fuel costs, concern over greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
"TNT was the first company to deploy our commercial electric vehicles and remains a world leader with this fleet investment. Our growing relationship with TNT underlines the significant cost savings and environmental benefits that our vehicles provide for major fleet operators."

The pioneering launch was today endorsed by Phil Woolas, Minister of State for the Environment said: "I applaud TNT for taking this lead and introducing their zero emission fleet of electric vehicles across the UK. The challenge of reducing our carbon dioxide emissions requires action from all parties, including Government, local authorities and the private sector.

"This investment by TNT is exactly the type of commitment we need from the private sector in the fight against climate change and I encourage other businesses to take similar steps in identifying positive ways to minimise their CO²emissions."

Powered by four large sodium nickel chloride 278v batteries located underneath the vehicle, each Newton can be fully charged from flat in approximately eight hours, using a standard three-phase industrial electricity supply which is common to any commercial premises. The Newton also provides additional environmental features such as fully recyclable, ultra light body panels manufactured by Omnia. This reduces the body weight and increases the payload capacity to 2,000kg for the TNT vehicles.

Tom Bell, Managing Director, TNT Express Services UK & Ireland, said: "This is a huge step forward for our fleet in both environmental as well as economical terms.

"On average it costs just £40-a-week to power a zero emission vehicle as opposed to around £200 spent on diesel fuel. The electric vehicles are also exempt from the London congestion charge - approximately £1,750 a year - and do not incur road tax in the UK. It's a clear win-win situation and one that we hope others will follow.