DHL accelerates green fleet transition with electric van rollout

Image: DHL

The delivery service provider said it would then add 220 more to its fleet before the end of 2022. The vans will be deployed across the country, in cities including Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham.

DHL is also investing in electric charging infrastructure at around 20 of its sites. This will be scalable to allow for the additional electric vehicles which will be added to each site in the future.

The announcement marks an “important step” for the business towards meeting its sustainability targets. Deutsche Post DHL Group recently announced a €7bn investment to help meet its ‘Mission 2050’ net-zero goals. It also laid out plans to have 80,000 e-vehicles on the road and 60% of last-mile deliveries electrified by 2030.

Driver training

DHL Express is working towards this goal in the UK. Its intention is that every new courier vehicle purchased will be electric. This will result in 100% of the UK-wide fleet being electric by 2030.

DHL Express director of fleet Richard Crook said: “Both our vehicle and as importantly our driver training roll-out plans are now picking up speed as we start to electrify our fleet across the UK.

“By the end of the year we will have deployed more than 100 additional electric vehicles into our business with a continued and accelerating roadmap towards achieving our Go Green targets.

“Many of the UK’s major cities are working hard to reduce emissions and improve air quality and we plan to play a major part in supporting this. Long term we’re also investing in charging infrastructure so we can continue to expand our green fleet.”

Last month, DHL Express placed an order for 12 all-electric cargo planes and is expecting them to be delivered in 2024. Each plane will be able to carry a little under 1,200kg of cargo and has a range of 440 nautical miles.

edie staff

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