DHL expands green delivery fleet

Transportation and logistics provider DHL will add 63 electric cargo vans to its U.S. fleet of green delivery trucks in 2019, the company said today.

The Plantation, Fla.-based company said the NGEN-1000 cargo vans from Workhorse Group can run up to 100 miles on a charge, have ultra-low floors to reduce physical stress on workers' knees and backs, and a high roof design that maximizes cargo space in a small footprint. DHL said it will roll out the first 30 NGEN-1000 electric delivery cargo vans in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The vehicles add to the company's already robust alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) fleet, which includes fully electric, hybrid electric, compressed natural gas (CNG) and clean diesel, the company said. They are also part of a company-wide goal to operate 70 percent of first- and last-mile delivery services with clean transport modes by 2025, which will feed the company's longer-term corporate commitment to reduce its logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050, the company also said.

This year alone, nearly 30 percent of DHL's new vehicles will use alternative fuel, according to Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express U.S.

"Throughout the United States, DHL has proactively sought opportunities in select markets where we can implement AFV fleets that will help us reach our clean transport goals while continuing to provide a superior service experience," he said. "We're excited about the technologies that continue to emerge in this area and how they are benefiting the logistics industry."