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DHL and Volvo partner on decarbonisation

DHL Freight and Volvo Trucks have partnered on the transition to heavy duty electric trucks for the decarbonisation of long distance journeys.

The move has been made following electric truck usage over shorter distances within cities and urban areas – but now the two firms want to scale-up their decarbonisation agenda.

The cooperation includes exclusive, worldwide first pilot tests of a fully electric Volvo FH truck with gross combination weights up to 60 tonnes.

Starting in March 2021, the truck will operate between two DHL Freight logistics terminals in Sweden – a distance of approximately 150 km.

During the trial, Volvo and DHL will gain information regarding the setup and operation of an adequate charging infrastructure with the insights being used to optimise the right operated distance, load weight and charging points in daily road freight operations.

Speaking about the deal, CEO of DHL Freight, Uwe Brinks, said: “Our aim is to reduce all logistics-related emissions to zero. Important milestones have already been achieved in meeting this: compared to 2007, our Group’s CO2 efficiency has improved by 35%. However, we need innovative technological solutions and strong partnerships along this journey.

“I’m confident that our strong cooperation with Volvo Trucks, one of the major truck brands in the world, will support us in achieving our ambitious environmental goals in the road freight sector.”

Volvo FL Electric and Volvo FE Electric trucks are currently in use for city distribution with DHL Supply Chain recently put a new Volvo FL Electric into operation in London – introducing the first purpose-built fully electric Volvo truck for city distribution in the UK.

At the end of last year, Volvo Trucks in North America started sales of the VNR Electric, and this year European sales of the heavy-duty electric product range will begin.

President of Volvo Trucks, Roger Alm, said: “The transport business is changing rapidly and to be sustainable is an increasingly important business advantage for many of our customers. We offer effective transport solutions that help make a fast transition to fossil-free fuels such as electricity.

“We have a longstanding relationship with DHL. Their broad and global expertise in logistics allows us to study the conditions to progress with this technology shift, adapting it to customer needs and their type of transport operation.”

  • image courtesy of Volvo Trucks

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