International express delivery service provider DHL Express has announced the roll-out of 270 electric vans, which will take to roads across the UK as part of its last-mile fleet.
The news follows DHL’s introduction last year of 50 electric vans to operate out of sites across the country. This next phase will see the new vans enter operation between May and September, servicing over 30 different locations, including London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton Liverpool, Sheffield, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
The zero-emission Ford E Transits to be used by DHL have a range of 140 miles and a payload of approximately 1,000kg, similar to the diesel vans they are replacing. The bodies have been customised for ease of use for drivers and to ensure continued high service levels. What’s more, drivers will be provided with training to ensure they are familiar with the new vehicles and confident in their capabilities.
Operating at 4.25 tonnes, the vehicles can be driven with a standard Category B licence under the driving licence derogation rules for alternatively fuelled vehicles, enabling an equivalent payload to be carried as in their diesel counterparts despite the additional weight of the electric powertrain.
DHL has also been developing its infrastructure to support the EV roll-out and, in addition to stand-alone charging points across its Service Centre network, now operates 10 fully integrated EV-ready sites, with an additional three opening this spring, and 13 more planned later this year. The integrated charging infrastructure is scalable to allow for additional EVs as the fleet grows in the coming years.
Richard Crook, director of fleet at DHL Express, said: “We’re thrilled to be sharing another update on our journey to a fully electric fleet. We’re extremely proud of the progress made so far in reducing the environmental impact of our fleet, and this next stage of roll-out is a positive step towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050”.
Deutsche Post DHL Group has announced plans to have more than 80,000 e-vehicles on the road and 60% of last-mile delivery electrified by 2030. In the UK, DHL Express has announced an intention that every new courier vehicle purchased will be electric, resulting in its UK-wide courier fleet being electric by 2030.
