FedEx Express Europe is installing 114 electric charging vehicle points at parcel pickup and delivery stations in north and south London, Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris and Strasbourg, in a bid to support widespread use of electric vehicles in its future operations. The company has also placed an order for 98 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vans, which are anticipated to arrive in these facilities next year.
“Besides identifying specific electric vehicles that fit our operational needs across the fleet, there are complex considerations to electrification that go beyond the vehicle. For electric vehicles to become the norm in an optimized and resilient network, it’s critical that we take the time to get the foundations right, ahead of the physical introduction of the vehicles themselves,” said Vinay D’Souza, senior vice president of planning and engineering, FedEx Express Europe.
“By starting first with six major stations, we’ll quickly reach an informed position from which to roll out broader electrification plans in Europe. Getting ahead of our future energy and infrastructure needs is a priority, then integrating electric vehicles in increasing numbers as we continue the retirement of diesel delivery vans.”
The stations benefitting from the charging infrastructure rollout were chosen following a comprehensive assessment of the facility’s energy capacity, the availability of low- or zero-carbon renewable energy supply, and the maximum number of vehicle routes that could be transitioned to electric vehicle in the near-term future.
Having prioritized cities and locations next in line for electrification, FedEx Express Europe aims to install an additional 200 charging points in its facilities this year. FedEx continues to modernize its global fleet with the procurement of further electric vehicles for Europe set to follow this second phase of infrastructure expansion.
The move marks a significant step in FedEx Express Europe’s electrification roadmap, which already sets out procurement targets for new electric vehicles. In March 2021, FedEx Express set a global target for 50% of all newly procured parcel pickup and delivery vehicles to be electric by 2025. This should rise to 100% of new vehicle orders by 2030, contributing to a desired position of carbon-neutral operations around the world by 2040.