Three electric DHL Express vans to hit the road

DHL Express has the first of its three LDV E80 electric vans on Auckland’s roads this week, the two others going to Wellington and Christchurch.

The pilot project for the express courier industry received a $62,685 contribution from the Government’s latest round of the low emission vehicles contestable fund.

A charger will be installed at each depot in the three cities.

The trial is part of DHL’s target to pick up and deliver 70% of shipments using clean solutions by 2025, part of its goal to reduce its logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050.

Each van will be driven by a number of drivers, building experience across a range of drivers, and increasing the visibility of EVs in the express courier industry.

More than 170 customers have gone for an environmentally responsible shipping option offered by the company, DHL Express New Zealand country manager Mark Foy says.

“We are very excited to deploy new electric vehicles, which is a significant step towards our goal of becoming a zero-emissions logistics provider by 2050,” the New Zealand Herald reports.

Customers signing up to DHL’s GoGreen carbon neutral service sees DHL make a corresponding contribution to a climate protection project through the purchase of carbon credits.

DHL Express aims to have more than 80% of its employees as GoGreen specialists, and to involve them in reaching the group’s global goal of planting a million trees annually.

The company has a fleet of about 100 vehicles in New Zealand.

DHL has announced it will also be rolling out a new fleet of 63 electric delivery vans from Workhorse Group to serve the US markets, the first 30 NGEN-1000 vans starting in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“This year alone, nearly 30% of our new vehicles will be alternative fuel,” DHL Express US chief executive officer Greg Hewitt says.