Brazil Post is testing Renault's Kangoo ZE electric vehicle for its suitability for deliveries, according to a report in Post & Parcel. The four-month trial could be extended to a full year.

The vehicle will be used in the Asa Sul, Setor Comercial, Setor Hoteleiro Sul and Esplanada dos Ministérios areas of the Brazilian capital. Another test vehicle will be used around the metropolitan region of Curitiba in the south of Brazil, where Renault has its national headquarters, according to the report. The Kangoo ZE is a fully electric version of Renault’s Kangoo commercial vehicle, which can handle a load of 650kg, its 60bhp engine offering a range of 170km. The vehicle is already being used or trialled by various postal operators, particularly in Europe.

Both vehicles are being leased to Brazil Post, with power company Companhia Energetica de Brasilia (CEB) partnering with the postal service to install recharging stations.

Brazil Post delivers more than 9 billion items each year with a fleet of 19,918 motorcycles, cars, and trucks.