Fortnum & Mason has added two electric Renault Kangoo ZE 33 delivery vans to its fleet, for deliveries in and around London.

The new vehicles will replace the store’s existing Kangoo ZE, which it acquired in 2015.

In order to ensure the food is delivered fresh, the vans have been specified with refrigerator conversions.

The new Kangoo ZEs are expected to make an average of 40 drops a day, seven days a week. During the festive period they are expected to be even busier as customer demand increases.

With a real world range of 124 summer miles (75-99 winter miles), the business is confident its day’s deliveries can be comfortably completed on a single charge.

The additional vans will enable Fortnum & Mason to service the increasing number of customers opting for delivery of in-store purchases, including those that will now originate from the business’ additional store located in the Royal Exchange.

The Renault Kangoo ZE 33 is exempt from the London Congestion Charge and the proposed ULEZ charge, plus qualifies for zero road tax.

“We are immensely proud of our heritage, but Fortnum’s has survived for 311 years by constantly innovating – and so we are always looking for new ways to progress, particularly when it comes to our sustainability strategies. The Renault Kangoo ZE will play a part in our drive towards more environmentally friendly operations. Since 2015 it has proved a valuable, reliable, and highly efficient asset and its electric drivetrain is perfect for the role. While the actual mileage our vans cover is low, the driving conditions are demanding, but the Kangoo Z.E. overcomes a lot of the issues you would have with a conventionally-engined van, while also being significantly cheaper to run and maintain,” said David Woodroof, logistics manager at Fortnum & Mason.

The Kangoo ZE 33 has a load capacity of up to 4.6 cubic metres and a payload of up to 640kg. Its enhanced 33kWh battery benefits from an upgraded charger that reduces charging times and is twice as powerful as its previous one.

Prices start from £18,392, excluding VAT, after the Plug-in Van Grant.