09-02-2023

• PostNL co-hosted the sixth edition of International Post Corporation’s Drivers’ Challenge, which for the first time was performed exclusively on full electric vehicles. • The 2023 edition featured a record number of twelve teams from various postal operators around Europe who sent their best drivers to complete challenges in eco-driving, car handling and delivery efficiency. • Tomi Virrankoski and Marko Enberg (Posti) are the winners of the 2023 IPC Drivers’ challenge, with Stijn Aerts and Joeri Custers (bpost 1) placing second and Jesse Baerwaldt and Marc Boer (PostNL TGN (Time-bound Network)) in third place.

Brussels, 09 February 2023 – Teams from bpost (Belgium - 2), Correos (Spain), CTT Portugal Post (Portugal); Le Groupe La Poste (France - 2), Posti (Finland), PostNord (Denmark), PostNL (the Netherlands - 3), PostNord (Sweden-Denmark) and Swisspost geared up on 7 and 8 February in Zandvoort, the Netherlands for the sixth edition of the IPC Drivers’ Challenge. All posts sent their best teams, mostly selected through national competition or continuous measurement of driving behaviour. For the first time, all components of the Drivers’ Challenge were performed exclusively by fully electric vehicles.

Looking back at the event, Holger Winklbauer, CEO of IPC, said: “After being postponed for several years because of the pandemic, we are very pleased to be able to once again organise the IPC Drivers’ Challenge with the higher ever number of participants, showing the growing awareness among postal employees of sustainability and eco-driving. For the first time, the event is fully electric, reflecting the postal industry’s commitment to increasingly replace their fleet with alternative-fuel vehicles.”

The teams were submerged in all aspects of the postal delivery chain. The atmosphere was friendly, though competitive and all teams displayed an excellent level of professionalism and dedication in each of the competition subcategories. The Finnish team excelled in all aspects of the competition, and rightfully took this year’s IPC Drivers’ Challenge trophy home. Teams from Belgium and the Netherlands ranked second and third respectively. 
As in previous editions, participating teams consisted of a professional driver and a postal manager. Tests in this edition of the IPC Drivers’ Challenge included:
• a theory test
• a series of car checks 
• a challenging combination of car handling exercises, 
• a 37 km-long eco-driving route combining the Zandvoort racing track experience and the surrounding villages and dunes.  
• A 25km-long delivery route combining driving and the delivery exercise on the public road.

The IPC Drivers’ Challenge goes fully electric
As the use of alternative vehicles is steadily increasing in the whole postal sector, it was important that it was also highlighted in IPC’s eco-driving competition. This year, teams performed all the driving and agility tests on electric vehicles. In 2022, 24% of the vehicles in the postal fleet are alternative vehicles and 17% are electric.

During this year’s IPC Drivers’ Challenge, PostNL used a number of brand new electric vehicles for the competition, which offered a unique driving experience to the drivers, as well as a look into what future postal delivery may look like.
Two other awards were also presented this year, an eco-driving efficiency award, rewarding the team who performed best in eco-driving, and managed to drive in the most energy-efficient way and a sportsmanship award, for the team that showed the best attitude, fair play and motivation, fully in line with the focus of the IPC Drivers’ Challenge on staff engagement. Stijn Aerts and Joeri Custers displayed excellent driving behaviour in the electric VW ID. Buzz Cargo and were rewarded the efficiency award, while  Valon Bega and João Pedro Gouveia Lopes Henriques lead by example in displaying great team spirit an positive attitude were rewarded the sportsmanship award. 
Drivers’ Challenge as part of IPC postal sector sustainability programme
The Drivers’ Challenge is part of IPC’s sustainability programme, launched in 2019, bringing together 23 posts from Europe, America, Africa and Asia Pacific. IPC’s Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS) provides a common carbon measurement and reporting framework based on internationally recognised standards and open to all posts globally. The IPC programme assesses both carbon management proficiency and absolute carbon emissions reductions and carbon efficiency of participating posts. 
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About IPC’s Sustainability Measurement and Management System Programme (SMMS)
 
The IPC SMMS programme was launched in 2019 to address the sustainability objectives of the postal sector for the next ten years, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It expands on the 2009-2019 Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System (EMMS) programme, which focused on reducing carbon emissions, and broadens the remit to the seven sustainability focus areas most relevant for the postal sector: Health and safety, Learning and development, Resource efficiency, Climate change, Air quality, Circular economy and Sustainable procurement. These focus areas are aligned with the following UN SDGs, identified by our stakeholders and SMMS participants as most relevant to the postal sector:
SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth
SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure
SDG 11 - Sustainable cities and communities
SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production
SDG 13 - Climate action 
As such, the SMMS programme is designed to further the postal sector’s contribution to global sustainable development, focusing on the areas in which it can have the most impact.   

About International Post Corporation 
International Post Corporation is a cooperative association of 26 member postal operators in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Over the past two decades IPC has provided industry leadership by driving service quality and interoperability, supporting its members to ensure the high performance of international mail services and developing the IT infrastructure required to achieve this. IPC engages in industry research, creates business-critical intelligence, provides a range of platforms for member post CEOs and senior management to exchange best practices and discuss strategy, and gives its members an authoritative, independent and collective voice. IPC also manages the system for incentive-based payments between postal operators. With members delivering some 80% of global postal mail, IPC represents the majority of the world’s mail volume. For more information please visit our website. 
 
For more information, please contact
Eva Wouters
PR & Media Relations Manager
International Post Corporation
+32 2 724 71 91
[email protected]
 
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