DHL Express Continues To Expand Its Electric Vehicle Fleet

DHL Express has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable mobility by expanding its electric vehicle fleet in Malaysia. The logistics company is the first in the country to make use of EV on a commercial scale in October 2022 and recently added 44 electric vans and 7 electric scooters to its fleet.

“In facilitating global trade and supply chains, we believe it should not come at the expense of the environment,” said Julian Neo, Managing Director of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei. “As industries continue to transform in the direction of sustainability, we remain focused on leveraging green technologies towards climate-neutral operations. Expanding our EV network marks another significant step in our journey to be net-zero carbon by 2050.”

The company’s fleet now will have the Blueshark R1 smart electric scooter for its pick-up and delivery of documents and small shipments services. It will also be able to provide ad-hoc despatch support for government correspondence. Its couriers will start using their new 2-wheeled electric vehicles in the Klang Valley, Penang, Melaka, and Ipoh.

The Blueshark e-scooter uses a dual-pack 2.88 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery that provides up to 110 km of range (NEDC cycle). A full charge from any 220 – 240V outlet takes about 3.5 hours from 0% to 100%. With an estimated 90% lower annual CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) output over conventional 150 cc engines, the Blueshark R1 is an effective solution for emission-free light transport for small payloads in urban settings. Its expansion of the e-van fleet brings the total to 54 electric vans from 10. With this expansion, DHL can extend its EV coverage beyond Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Johor. It is expected that the roll-out of the CAM EA4 and Foton iBlue to complement the existing group of CAM EC35 will lead to a 74% reduction in total fuel costs and 63.5% increase in carbon efficiency, compared to the internal combustion engine (ICE) vans that they replace. Plans are also in place to transition 23% of all last-mile delivery vehicles in Malaysia to electric by end-2024. This will put DHL Express Malaysia on track to achieve the Group-wide target of a 60% electric fleet by 2030. “Innovations in EV development have produced growing evidence that sustainability and performance can go hand-in-hand. We are confident in our role as a driving force to accelerate adoption and facilitate positive changes in the logistics sector. With our decarbonisation strategy, we can ensure we responsibly cover every mile,” said Thushan Gooneratne, Vice President of Operations, DHL Express Malaysia.

“DHL Express plays a major role in defining the standards for the logistics industry and we are delighted that they have chosen Blueshark to fulfil their sustainable mobility ambitions”, said Jeff Chong, Group CEO (ASEAN), Blueshark Ecosystem Sdn. Bhd. “Supported by our end-to-end ecosystem and with greater efficiency, lower energy costs, and fewer moving parts on our R1, we can help accelerate EV adoption in the logistics industry and improve the operational efficiency of deliveries while reducing emissions.”

Through Blueshark’s Internet of Vehicles (IoV), fleet customers can monitor and track their vehicles and essential data such as performance metrics, ride history, vehicle condition, and battery range in real time, seamlessly and instantly.

Fleet electrification is a key carbon reduction measure of DHL Group’s Sustainability Roadmap as it invests EUR 7 billion in the current decade on the path to net-zero carbon emissions. The company has 29,200 EVs operating internationally, of which 27,800 are involved in pick-up and delivery sector.

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