FedEx has announced the next phase of its US EV rollout, following the start of construction on electronic DC charging stations in January.
Through an agreement with Chanje Energy, the company plans to electrify 42 FedEx stations in California, making it one of the largest deployments of integrated charging infrastructure in the USA by a single commercial fleet to date.
FedEx announced the addition of 1,000 Chanje V8100 electric delivery vehicles to its fleet last November.
The company is purchasing 100 of the vehicles from Chanje Energy and leasing 900 from Ryder System.
“FedEx is thrilled to continue being a pioneering industry leader in the electric vehicle space,” said Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer, FedEx.
“The vehicles and DC charging infrastructure will not only help FedEx meet our operational efficiency and sustainability goals, but provide learning, scaling and experience to others in the vehicle electrification journey. We believe this will be a game-changer.”
The DC charging system, which was designed specifically for FedEx, will support daily charging for more than 1,000 EVs leased to FedEx.
Notable features include:
– Higher maximum power output than standard Level 2 chargers;
– Variable rate technology allowing FedEx to proactively adjust charging speed or shift energy usage away from peak hours to minimise electric utility bills;
– DC charging hardware, which is 10% more efficient than AC charging;
– Software platform for remote monitoring and real-time charger controls.
Chanje Energy will begin production of the EVs later this year. The vehicles are manufactured by FDG Electric Vehicles in Hangzhou, China, and purchased through Chanje Energy, the company’s subsidiary for global business.
They will be delivered on a rolling basis over the next year. Ryder System will provide maintenance and distribution support services.
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