FedEx has begun a two-week pilot of an all-electric eActros 300 tractor in its domestic line-haul operations from the company’s Parkhouse site in Stoke-on-Trent in the UK.
During the trial, the Mercedes-Benz tractor will be paired with an existing FedEx-owned trailer to transport shipments collected from larger customers on to FedEx hubs elsewhere in the UK. The tractor will recharge on-site at the Parkhouse site during downtime, using a 40kW temporary charging solution.
“Taking opportunities to test a variety of solutions in different geographical and operational circumstances is a critical part of evaluating solutions as they emerge on the market,” said Louise Whitehouse, fleet maintenance managing director at FedEx Europe. “This two-week test presents an opportunity to gain welcome hands-on experience using new technologies in heavier vehicle types and build a better picture of how such a vehicle and solution could be applied in line-haul operations in Europe.”
As FedEx identifies ways to reduce emissions across its road network in Europe, the company continues to explore vehicle specifications and sizes that will best meet the needs of its operations. It previously piloted the Mercedes-Benz Trucks eActros 300 as a rigid truck for two weeks in Eindhoven in the Netherlands in May 2024, which prompted the trial in the UK.
Elsewhere in ground operations, FedEx has recently added electric vehicles to parcel pickup and delivery operations in the UK as well as in the Netherlands, Spain and France.
The company also set a record back in March 2024 for the first-ever cross-border package delivered from Malaysia to Singapore using an electric vehicle (EV), with the attempt officially recognized by the Malaysia Book of Records as the ‘first zero-emission cross-border delivery’.