AN UNEXPECTED NEW DIMENSION OF THE FRENCH POSTAL SERVICE: THE ORIGINS OF THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE INDUSTRY IN THE 21ST CENTURY FRANCE

Abstract

Since the early days of the automobile and throughout the 20th century, the postal service has represented an important potential application for electric vehicles (EVs). Interest was particularly pronounced during the Second World War in the context of scarcity and in the 1970s after of the increase in fuel prices caused by the oil shock. Since that time, the administration of the PTT has engaged in several phases of EV testing for mail delivery. As tese initiatives grew in importance, they were more closely supervised by the state and the interaction between the technical services of the PTT and manufacturers or energy companies such as EDF became more structured. As a result, La Poste has contributed significantly to the rise of a national EV sector in France since the mid-2000s. For both economic and societal reasons the company developed expertise in the area of mobility and it has become more legitimate in this role over time, at the same time as it has become more agile. As a result, it was well positioned to take a leading role in the “Borloo Plan” launched by the  French state in October 2009. Company archives specifically made available for research on this topic were analysed along with press articles and technical  documentation. The research highlights the unexpected usefulness of La Poste in a sector that is emerging to address one of the key challenges of the 21st century.