Feature
Milk & More, Britain’s largest milk delivery service, is rolling out its quietest and most environmentally friendly delivery vehicles to date, following its purchase of 200 electric StreetScooters. GreenFleet finds out more from the firm’s CEO, Patrick Müller
What does Milk & More do and what is its fleet comprised of?
As the largest home deliverer of milk to the doorstep, Milk & More’s 1,100 milkmen and women deliver milk and an ever-evolving range of high quality products to more than 500,000 customers across England and Wales. We make 80 million deliveries, delivering over 100 million one-pint glass bottles every year. Customers have the choice of ordering via our new-look website or directly with the traditional British milkman.
We have some 1,200 milk floats, including 200 brand-new StreetScooter electric vehicles and 200 traditional electric milk floats. The remainder of our milk floats are diesel vehicles, which are used on some of our more rural, typically larger, rounds.
What led to the decision to buy electric vans?
We are always looking at ways to improve our carbon footprint. Sixty per cent of the milk we deliver to the doorstep comes in our iconic one-pint glass bottles, which are reused on average 25 times.
With the purchase of 200 of the new StreetScooter milk floats, a third of our milk floats are now electric. The StreetScooter is an ideal fit, from an environmental and noise reduction standpoint, for both us and our customers. We’re on a transformational journey and the StreetScooter electric milk float helps us make the British milkman relevant to 21st century customers.
How many EVs do you operate and how are they used?
We have around 400 electric milk floats in total – representing around a third of our fleet. They are used by our milkmen and women to deliver milk – and lots more besides – to customers in time for breakfast.
Where are the EVs charged?
The new electric milk floats are plugged in to dedicated charging points at the 25 delivery hubs across the country where they are in operation.
How have the drivers taken to the electric vehicles?
Our milkmen and women have really taken to the new StreetScooters. They are particularly appreciative of the fact that they offer the latest technology, not only in terms of performance but also when it comes to comfort. They also appreciate that the new vehicles are left-hand drive, which enables them to exit the milk float safely on the kerbside.
How much are you saving in emissions and costs?
The new StreetScooters have zero emissions and in the first month of operation we saw a 90 per cent reduction in operational fuel costs versus the outgoing diesel vehicles.
Are there any other benefits to EVs other than emissions?
Noise reduction is a key customer benefit of the new milk floats – and a very important one – given that many of the milkmen and women are delivering to customers’ homes before 7am.
What are your future plans for greening the rest of the fleet?
The £6.5 million investment in the new StreetScooter milk floats is part of our long-term strategy to rejuvenate the doorstep milk delivery service and secure the future of the British milkman and woman. Once we’ve had an opportunity to review the performance of the new electric milk floats we’ll make a decision on whether we’ll further expand our fleet. So watch this space for further announcements.
FAQs
Today, milk floats are usually battery electric vehicles (BEV), but they were formerly horse-drawn floats. They were once common in many European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, and were operated by local dairies.
Why did electric milk floats stop? ›
Sadly, as fewer and fewer households have a morning milk delivery, the length of the rounds and distance between stops is increasing, and diesel floats are gradually replacing electric ones as the most practical choice. But there are still a lot of electric floats in daily service.
How heavy is an electric milk float? ›
The unladen weight of a standard electric milk float is around 2.2 tonnes.
Why did milkman stop delivering? ›
Before milk bottles were available, milkmen took churns on their rounds and filled the customers' jugs by dipping a measure into the churn. Due to improved packaging and the spread of refrigerators in private homes, the need for milk delivery decreased from the latter part of the twentieth century.
Are milkman coming back? ›
Absolutely! The iconic British milkman and his trusty float has steadfastly delivered through thick and thin for decades, but stormed back to our streets with extra gusto in the past few years. Find out exactly why these pillars of the communities are in more demand than ever before.
Do milkmen still deliver milk? ›
Our milkies are on hand with their local milk delivery vans. We've milked the best cows from around the country to deliver locally to you! So, your morning cuppa will taste a whole lot better knowing that fresh milk will be on your doorstep first thing.
Who made electric milk floats? ›
The electric milk float was invented by Philip V Poco*ck, the first Chairman of SPEL Products whose father had been in the dairy industry during WW1. PVP was with Mickleover Transport during WW2 building road tankers, horse drawn milk floats and other vehicles for United Dairies.
How much does a milk float cost? ›
Cost. The Milk Float is priced at £5,620 for a one day event, including wrapping and logistics. Internal modifications to this vehicle tend to start around £2000, but can exceed £10,000 if you are looking at large-scale changes.
How long have milk floats been electric? ›
The Express Dairy Company was the first to use electric floats in 1932. Their experiment with a small fleet of GV electric vehicles in London proved successful and led to the replacement of horse-drawn milk floats.
What was the first electric car? ›
In 1888, the German Andreas Flocken designed the Flocken Elektrowagen, regarded by some as the first "real" electric car. In 1890, Andrew Morrison introduced the first electric car to the United States.
The MAXUS DELIVER 9 Milk Float is an electric vehicle designed for local milk delivery routes. With a range of up to 240 km on a single charge and a large cargo capacity, it's an efficient and environmentally friendly choice for dairy companies.
What is a British milk float? ›
noun. , British. a motor vehicle, usually battery powered, in which bottles or cartons of milk and other dairy products are delivered to homes by a daily or regular route.
Was the milk man a real thing? ›
The milkman would place fresh bottles of milk into the milk boxes and take the empty bottles before collecting his payment. By the 1930s and 1940s, most homes in the United States had their own refrigerators, allowing milk to be kept cold and fresh in the house.
Was milkman a real job? ›
The milkman became a job of the past, but today's markets might change that. Local dairies and farms are offering home delivery within their community, and today's consumers are interested.
Can you still get milk in glass bottles? ›
Fresh. Milk. We use low-temperature pasteurization and premium glass bottles at Crystal Springs Creamery. That means our milk stays naturally fresh and flavorful—longer than other brands.
When did they stop putting milk in glass? ›
From the 1960s onward in the United States, with improvements in shipping and storage materials, glass bottles have almost completely been replaced with either LDPE coated paper cartons or recyclable HDPE plastic containers (such as square milk jugs), depending on the brand.
When did milk floats become electric? ›
The Express Dairy Company was the first to use electric floats in 1932. Their experiment with a small fleet of GV electric vehicles in London proved successful and led to the replacement of horse-drawn milk floats.
