As part of its last-mile fleet, DHL Express is rolling out 270 new electric vans. The move follows last year’s introduction of 50 electric vans in DHL sites across the UK and is the latest phase in DHL plans to transition to a totally electric UK-wide courier fleet by 2030.

“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,” said Richard Crook, Director of Fleet at DHL Express.

The 270 new electric vehicles are expected to start being operational between May and September. The fleet will be servicing over 30 different locations, including London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton Liverpool, Sheffield, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

The vehicles, all zero emissions Ford E Transits, have a range of 140 miles and a payload of approximately 1000kg, similar to the diesel vans they are replacing. The bodies are customised and drivers have been trained in how to use the new vehicles.

The vehicles operate at 4.25 tonnes, allowing them to be driven with a standard Category B licence under the driving licence derogation rules for alternatively fuelled vehicles. This enables an equivalent payload to be carried as in their diesel equivalents despite the additional weight of the electric powertrain.

DHL has also been developing its infrastructure to support the EV roll-out. It has stand-alone charging points across the Service Centre network and 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 electric vehicles as the fleet grows in the coming years.

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