Royal Mail is to trial two types of micro electric vehicles for delivering letters and small parcels in a move aimed at stepping up its drive to further reduce emissions.

The vehicles, roughly the size of a golf buggy or a quad bike, will be assessed in residential areas as a potential lower carbon alternative to larger vans.

They have been specially designed to help postal staff deliver letters and smaller parcels on their daily rounds.

The six-month trial will see a selection of vehicles operating in Edinburgh, Crewe, Liverpool, Swindon and London.

Simon Thompson, chief executive officer at Royal Mail, said: “It’s really exciting to see these micro electric vehicles making their way into our daily deliveries.

“We’re committed to keep on reducing our environmental impact and we intend to leave no stone unturned in trialling new technologies and new ways of delivering to help us do that.

“As our fantastic posties make most deliveries on foot, this already means we have the lowest reported CO2e per parcel of major UK delivery companies.

“From drones to electric vehicles, fuel-efficient tyres to bio-CNG trucks, we’ll keep on innovating to reduce our environmental impact even further.”

The vehicles, which can accommodate more than an average daily round’s worth of letters and small parcels, are charged using a standard three-pin plug.