UK postal service DHL Parcel UK has confirmed the delivery of six fully-electric 16-tonne trucks and 30 liquefied natural gas (LNG) tractor units, which have been supplied by Volvo Trucks, the truck manufacturing division of the Swedish carmaker.
According to DHL, the 16-tonne electric trucks are powered using four 200kWh batteries with a maximum range of 120 miles (193km) and can support as many as 12 pallets weighing up to six tonnes.
The company expects to deploy trucks in January 2023, with the vehicles being charged overnight at DHL Parcel locations in London to support daytime deliveries across the capital.
Both deployments are part of a €74m (£64m) UK investment in more a sustainable fleet for the parcel company as part of its ambition to reach net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.
The company has also announced an investment of €7bn (£6bn) in sustainable fuel and clean technologies by 2030, to help it run its fleet for pick-up, delivery and linehauls on either electricity or other fuel altnernatives.
Peter Fuller, CEO, DHL Parcel UK, said: “Our aim is to be at the forefront of change in UK road transport.
“Having zero emissions electric vehicles in our final mile heavy fleet is a major step forward in our vision of net zero logistics related emissions.”
Moreover, the zero-emission vehicles will reportedly be three-star compliant to the London Direct Vision Standard, signalling strong all-round visibility.
Once the Bio-LNG gas tank has been commissioned and drivers have been trained on safe re-fuelling practices, the 30 new Volvo tractors will be deployed at the DHL Parcel UK hub in Coventry.
With a reported maximum range of up to 400 miles (643 km) per tank, the tractors are intended for use on routes across the UK.
What’s more, the LNG units emit 85% percent less CO2 emissions, when compared to a traditional diesel engine, but maintain the same power output of 460bhp, the company has said.
