DHL Freight, a division of Deutsche Post DHL, has deployed two Fuso eCanter electric trucks from Daimler as part of a two-year trial taking place in Berlin, Germany.
According to Daimler, the 7.5-ton all-electric Fuso eCanter has a lower total cost of ownership than conventional diesel-driven vehicles, boasting a range of 100km (62 miles) and maximum commercial payload of 3.5 tons.
Uwe Brinks, CEO of DHL Freight, said, “The use of alternative drives, such as those built into the eCanter, plays an important role in reaching our group-wide goal of reducing all logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050. DHL Freight is firmly committed to helping make this happen. By deploying the eCanter, we hope to reduce emissions from our forwarding business, as well as local air pollution emissions, which will in turn reduce our carbon footprint and that of our customers.”
In the coming months, the two electric trucks will be used to deliver to businesses and private customers in the city center. The trucks will be on the roads delivering less-than-container-load shipments weighing more than 35kg (77lb), such as electric or large home appliances, to private customers. DHL Freight will be using the eCanter both for pick up and delivery, with the aim of reducing pollution for first and last-mile services in the road transport business.
In addition to the two vehicles for DHL Freight, DHL Parcel has also deployed four electric trucks in the Berlin region. DHL Parcel will use them in the central downtown area of Berlin for supplying companies and major customers. The electric trucks are fully integrated into the operational process and replace the vehicles used previously.
December 14, 2017