DHL adds electric tractor-trailer vehicles to LA fleet

International express services provider DHL is expanding its environmentally friendly fleet of vehicles with the launch of four electric tractor-trailer trucks in the Los Angeles market, the company said Tuesday. The Class 8 battery-electric trucks are made by BYD Motors and can run all day on a single charge, the companies said.

DHL said it will use the trucks in a pilot program, hauling goods to and from the DHL gateway at Los Angeles International Airport and local service center facilities. The new trucks were added just in time to help with peak season shipping activity, and are part of DHL’s efforts to reduce its logistics-related emissions to net zero by 2050. They add to the company’s alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) fleet in the United States, which includes fully electric, hybrid-electric, and clean diesel–in addition to low-power electric-assist e-cargo bikes, the company said.

In addition to the new class 8 trucks, DHL Express has 72 all-electric battery-powered vans on order from multiple vendors, which will support DHL pickup and delivery operations throughout California and New York.