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London start\u2011up Minimal has relocated from Battersea to a refurbished 10,751 sq ft unit at Prologis Park Royal DC5, consolidating vehicle production, R&D and customer operations as it aims to double headcount and move from pilots to larger\u2011scale urban deliveries. The Park Royal site, fitted out via Prologis Essentials and equipped with rooftop solar, on\u2011site EV charging and secure yard space, will be used for testing, storage and operational pilots of its lightweight three\u2011 and four\u2011wheel vehicles paired with micro\u2011hubs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Minimal has moved its headquarters from Battersea to a refurbished 10,751 sq ft unit at Prologis Park Royal DC5, consolidating vehicle production, research and development and customer operations in a single site as it seeks to scale its last\u2011mile electric vehicle business. According to Business Motoring, the London\u2011based start\u2011up says the relocation will bring it closer to customers and improve links into the capital, providing a platform to accelerate deployments across London and the UK.<\/p>\n
The Park Royal unit sits within Central Park DC5 on Central Way and, Prologis\u2019 property listing shows, benefits from a secure yard, rooftop solar photovoltaic panels, on\u2011site electric vehicle charging and seven parking spaces alongside office accommodation \u2014 features pitched at occupiers focused on urban logistics. Prologis also supplied a fit\u2011out through its Essentials programme; the company markets Essentials as a turnkey package that can deliver racking, mezzanines, material\u2011handling equipment and energy\u2011and\u2011EV infrastructure rapidly to new occupiers.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Business Motoring, Minimal\u2019s CEO and co\u2011founder Patrick Bion argued the change is more than a simple move. \u201cCommercial freight creates 25% of London\u2019s emissions, and this continues to rise,\u201d he said, framing Minimal\u2019s light\u2011vehicle and micro\u2011hub approach as an alternative to large vans. That claim is echoed in independent analysis: a Centre for London report examining freight in the capital estimates that freight vehicles account for roughly a quarter of transport carbon emissions while contributing disproportionately to NOx and fine\u2011particulate pollution, and recommends consolidation, micro\u2011hubs and cargo\u2011bike solutions as part of a broader decarbonisation strategy.<\/p>\n
Minimal\u2019s own materials set out the logic behind its product mix: lightweight three\u2011 and four\u2011wheel electric vehicles, paired with local micro\u2011hubs and operational software, are intended to cut journey miles, noise and costs while enabling a reduced conventional\u2011van fleet to handle heavier loads. The company says the new Park Royal site \u2014 equipped with a private yard and secure storage \u2014 will support vehicle testing, storage and the operational piloting of that hybrid model.<\/p>\n
Company filings confirm Minimal\u2019s legal standing and its Park Royal presence. The UK Companies House record for Minimal X Limited shows an incorporation date of 16 April 2023 and lists a registered office at Unit 9, Central Park, Central Way, NW10 7FY, with directors named on the public register. Those filings provide an independent point of reference for the move and the company\u2019s corporate structure as it seeks to expand.<\/p>\n
Minimal says the relocation is part of a plan to ramp up production and double headcount, signalling an ambition to move from pilot projects to larger\u2011scale supply for urban deliveries. Whether lightweight micro\u2011vehicles and micro\u2011hub networks can displace a significant share of van journeys will depend on operational economics, city regulation and the ability of operators to integrate new vehicle classes into established logistics chains \u2014 points highlighted in policy analysis and by operators experimenting with consolidation and multimodal options.<\/p>\n
For real\u2011estate partners such as Prologis, the deal underlines the growing demand from companies seeking urban logistics space with rapid\u2011turnaround fit\u2011out and sustainability features. Prologis presents Essentials as a single point of contact to reduce lead times and complexity for last\u2011mile occupiers, and the Park Royal estate is billed as offering the logistics links and industrial character that city\u2011facing distribution businesses require. Minimal\u2019s move will be watched as an early test of whether lightweight, hub\u2011centred models can scale at the pace needed to materially reduce urban freight emissions.<\/p>\n