Meet XPress, South Africa’s First All-EV Courier Fleet

You might think that starting an all-EV courier company in South Africa might be jumping the gun a bit, but XPress, a new company started by Alex Staniland, is going ahead with its plans anyway. Staniland claims XPress was born out of necessity, after his other venture, mUther, a local online smart home store, yielded poor delivery results when working alongside “established courier services” to distribute products.

The XPress fleet didn’t necessarily need to be fully EV, but Staniland felt it was the natural progression for mUther, a store which primarily focuses on “high-tech” smart home products. Don’t discount the brand recognition, either. Nobody will remember SA’s “second all-EV courier company.”

XPress delivery incoming

“We are thrilled to announce that the newly formed, XPress, is now fully operational as a standalone overnight courier in Gauteng and neighbouring areas. The company is unique in that we run a fleet of pure EVs,” said Staniland.

“Fleet” may be a strong word, but it’s the one XPress is sticking with during the company’s “formative stages”. Its courier abilities are currently limited to a trio of BYD Dolphin EVs, all of which are confined to Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo for the time being. Stanliand claims each vehicle in the fleet is more than capable of exceeding the 400km range in a single charge, meaning XPress has opted for the ‘Extended’ Dolphin trim.

In addition to a fresh coat of paint, each Dolphin EV has had its back and passenger sets removed to maximise the limited space, essentially turning these into mini panel vans. Despite the range limitations — and the charging time — Staniland says that the fleet is already paying dividends, improving efficiency for mUther’s online store.

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Don’t expect any same-day deliveries from XPress. This is an overnight courier that charges R99 per delivery, and ensures next-day dropoff as long as you book it before 10h00. Customers can track their deliveries through a dedicated portal on the XPress website.

“All our drivers are also trained on our proprietary software to accept parcels on the spot via our Bring It service. This allows clients to simply scan a QR code to send a parcel there and then, to remove unnecessary paperwork and admin, which is pretty unique in SA,” Staniland continued.

Even though XPress may have a tougher time than most traditional couriers operating today, Standliand says the company is already thinking of an expansion in Durban, Cape Town, and Nelspruit. “We are also considering adding a few BYD Seagulls for intra-city deliveries. But it’s still early days for this exciting new business,” concluded Staniland.