DPD has unveiled a £330 million plan to build seven fully automated, EV-ready distribution centres.
The first two 60,000 sq ft hubs – in Crawley and Darlington – will break ground later this year, with Cambridge, Bradford, Guildford, Milton Keynes and Sittingbourne to follow in 2026. All seven sites are scheduled to be operational by early 2027. Each depot will be capable of processing up to 80,000 parcels a day and supporting more than 100 additional delivery routes, creating hundreds of roles across driving, warehousing, operations and administration.
It’s likely that these new depots will use technology provided by BP Pulse, after the two companies signed an agreement back in December 2024 to help the delivery firm ramp up its EV charging network.
“These facilities will be served by increasing numbers of electric vehicles, making them more sustainable operations, and helping us move towards our Net Zero targets,” said Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications & Sustainability at DPDgroup UK.
“This announcement represents a significant investment in our infrastructure as we continue to modify and expand our nationwide network of over 80 regional sorting centres.”
Why the investment from DPD matters
Transport remains the UK’s largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions, with domestic transport responsible for 113.2 MtCO₂e – 28% of the national total in 2022. Van emissions are a particular headache, having risen over 60% since 1990 as diesel fleets mushroomed to meet demand for more home deliveries.
That’s led to the industry to clean up its act, with DPD already operating a significant fleet of electric vehicles. Currently, 38% of DPD’s van fleet is all-electric while 95% of the HGV fleet runs on biofuel. The company is on track to be net zero by 2040.
Competitors are moving quickly too. Royal Mail deployed its 7,000th electric van in May 2025 and plans to add 1,800 more within a year, while Amazon has placed the UK’s largest single order for battery-electric HGVs – more than 140 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600s and eight Volvo FM Electrics. DHL, meanwhile, has invested £230 million in a Coventry parcel hub that can handle up to a million parcels a day and is fitted with extensive EV charging and rooftop solar.
