DHL to buy 110 EVs for Canadian operations

DHL Express says it will invest $15M to add 110 electric vehicles to its Canadian fleet within the next 12 months.

In addition to vehicles the company will also be buying charging stations and other related infrastructure.

The first 10 EVs will serve routes out of the company’s gateway at the Montréal–Trudeau International Airport by the end of 2022. They will be class 6 medium duty trucks with a range of 290 km per charge with a 252 KWH battery.

“We are determined to transition our operation into one that is net zero emissions and climate friendly. Our customers also expect environmentally responsible services, and we are here to deliver that as well,” said Andrew Williams, CEO for DHL Express Canada.

The remaining 100 vehicles are expected to be in operation by mid-2023 in different cities throughout the country, including Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary.

The reduction in CO2 emissions is estimated at 2,000 metric tons per year.

This investment is part of a series of initiatives that the company is undertaking following its commitment to reduce its CO2 emissions to net zero by 2050. With an accelerated roadmap to decarbonization, DHL will invest a total of 7 billion euros through 2030 in measures around the world to reduce its CO2 emissions. By that year, the company aims at having electrified 60 percent of its fleet and reduced its CO2 emissions to less than 29 million metric tons.

“We have ambitious plans to invest on electric vehicles as part of our focus on sustainability. The introduction of these electric trucks into our country is a huge step forward toward achieving our clean transport goals. By using these electric vehicles, we will prevent 2,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere per year. And that’s only to start,” said Williams.

In Canada, the company has also implemented different technologies to reduce building-related emissions. DHL’s gateway at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport is a LEED certified building, and the company uses 100 percent renewable energy across the country through Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) aligned with Carbon Neutral Building goal.

In the Americas, DHL Express has more than 300 electric vehicles active throughout the region and hopes to double this amount by next year. The company is also deploying solar-powered mobile pop-up stores in different countries, electric cargo bikes in the United States, and purchased 12 fully-electric cargo planes that will be delivered in 2024.