FedEx Express Europe, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation company, is readying six of its major facilities to support the widespread use of electric vehicles (EVs) in its future operations.
Fulfilled by Shell Recharge Solutions, the first 114 electric vehicle charging points will be installed at parcel pick-up and delivery stations in north and south London, Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris and Strasbourg.
This is great news for these areas as the demand for deliveries continues to rise. Plus, it’s smart for the company as more and more towns and cities are employing low and zero emission zones.
An order has simultaneously been placed for 98 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vans which are anticipated to arrive in these facilities next year.
Vinay D’Souza, FedEx Express Europe Senior Vice President of Planning and Engineering, said: “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 optimised 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.
“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 roll-out 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 vehicles in the near-term future.
Having prioritised 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 modernise 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 per cent of all newly-procured parcel pickup and delivery vehicles to be electric by 2025. This should rise to 100 per cent of new vehicle orders by 2030, contributing to the desired position of carbon-neutral operations around the world by 2040.
At the start of the year, FedEx announced that through its partnership with Electric Assisted Vehicles Limited (EAV) the addition of EAV2Cubed zero-emission vehicles to their London based fleet.
