The French postal service (La Poste) has just released a public announcement saying they intend to buy 300 EVs for postal delivery. The amount could be increased to 3000 by the end of 2012. The public announcement not only includes the purchase of the EVs but also the maintenance contracts.

La Poste already has a small fleet of GEM e2/Matra NEVs being tested in Alsace, in the East of France. The vehicles are mostly used for urban deliveries and have a range of about 50 km (30 miles). They can be loaded with up to 150 kg (about 330 pounds), which is a lot of postcards. The French postal service is also starting to get the first of its 500 Renault Kangoo Cleanova II order. The car is a series hybrid with a small 2-cylinder engine and will be used for suburban delivering. If the later turns out to be a success, La Poste plans to have 10,000 vans like these by the end of 2013.

[Source: Leblogauto]

You may never have heard of the French automotive company Matra. You've probably seen some of their designs and cars that they have built for other companies such as Renault, though. For instance, the strange and strangely popular Renault Espace minivan was initially made by Matra for Renault. They also have a rather successful history of racing, in Formula 1, Formula 2 and at Le Mans. The moped-like bike you see above and here in our gallery seems to be from the same company, although they do not produce cars anymore. The bike is electric and also allows for pedaling. The range of 60 miles or so could be increased with human power. Although limited to a bit less than 30 miles per hour, the bike can likely go faster, but it would lose out on being considered a moped and therefore would require a motorcycle license. This electric bike should be available for sale in Europe in the not-too-distant future, but no word on whether it'll make it to the States.

Interesting features of this electric bike include the disk brakes and their unusual mounting-system. The bike also supports regenerative braking. My guess is that batteries are stored in the rack above the rear wheel, but the round enclosure around the hub of the front wheel probably has batteries in it as well, while the other one at the rear is likely the motor. Looks like a fun little commuting machine!

[Source: Bikes in the Fast Lane, thanks Mike!]