FedEx Deploys its First Ten Electric Delivery Vans in South Africa

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), has deployed its first 10 electric vehicles in South Africa, as part of the company’s continuing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainable logistics.

FedEx says introducing EVs in South Africa marks an important milestone for the company as it works towards its goal to transform its entire global pickup and delivery fleet to zero-emission electric vehicles by 2040. To achieve this, FedEx Express will purchase 50% of its new vehicles as electric by 2025, and 100% of purchases will be electric by 2030. In 2021, FedEx conducted EV trials in South Africa to test the vehicle’s technology and assess its operational effectiveness on a standard route fully loaded with packages.

The EVs introduced into the FedEx fleet in South Africa are the MAXUS eDeliver 3 from SAIC Motor. On a full charge, they have a delivery capacity of 240 kilometers of operational range.

Here are the specs of the SAIC MAXUS eDeliver 3:

“For decades FedEx has been committed to sustainability. The adoption of these electric vehicles represents another step towards reducing our environmental impact and achieving carbon-neutral operations,” says Natasha Parmanand, managing director of FedEx Express Sub-Saharan Africa operations. “With the explosion of e-commerce, transforming our operations to be more sustainable is now more important than ever. We believe that this investment in EV technology will not only benefit the environment but also improve the efficiency of our operations, and ultimately provide a better service to our customers,” adds Natasha.

FedEx says it was the first delivery company in the world to use hybrid vehicles for pickup and delivery in 2003, and in 1994 the company used its first electric vehicle — a lead acid battery-powered vehicle — in California. FedEx has been a vocal advocate for improved fuel efficiency standards and policies to support the commercial deployment of alternative-fuel vehicles.

It looks like the electric van scene in South Africa is starting to get quite interesting. A few weeks ago, South African retailer Woolworths introduced 41 electric vans as part of its vehicle electrification program for its online delivery fleet in partnership with DSV and Everlectric. The 41 vans are also SAIC MAXUS eDeliver 3s.

I am a big fan of electric vans. It’s good to see more electric vans coming to African countries. Companies like Everlectric are working hard to make this happen. Everlectric packages leading international electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and innovative finance solutions that remove all the hurdles to adopting a cleaner & more efficient future. This lowers the barriers for adoption and helps fleets transition to electric vehicles as painlessly as possible.

Image courtesy of FedEx