Earlier today DHL Express, the that very familiar international express service provider, announced the addition of six electric vans in Malaysia. These electric motor powered vehicles will be making its rounds across the Klang Valley for last-mile deliveries. This introduction makes DHL as the first courier company in Malaysia to transition toward a having commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleet. Welcome to the future, courtesy of DHL, I presume
The new electric vans will be deployed in early October, and will serve the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor areas. DHL have plans to add a further 55 to bring the total number of EVs to 61 by 2023. These will be deployed to other states nationwide.
The electric van that DHL are putting into service is the CAM EC35. This is essentially CAM's Malaysian specified Dongfeng Sokon Automobile electric van. The fully-electric CAM EC35 has a cargo space of 4.8 m3 with a payload of more than one ton, similar to the internal combustion engine vans it replaces. The EC35 requires eight hours to be fully charged for a travel distance up to 266 kilometers. With direct current (DC) fast charging (at up to 40 kW), the time will be reduced to 2.5 hours.
Other notable standard features of the EC35 are anti-braking system (ABS) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) which are features that enhance couriers' safety and driving experience as they complete their daily routes.
At the same time, DHL has been developing its infrastructure to support the roll-out. For example, smart charging points at the service centers are designed for scalability for additional electric vans in the coming years. This is a must for running EVs as it would be only efficient with fast chargers in close vicinity to get that quick turnaround time for more efficiency out of the vehicles. While these vehicles will be only used for short distances for last mile deliveries, Klang Valley traffic is notorious for being unpredictable and even short distances may cause more battery usage than necessary.
With the deployment of CAM EC35, DHL predicts that it will see fuel cost savings of 48 percent over conventional vehicles and a 33 percent decrease in CO2 emissions annually.
"Logistics operations efficiency, innovation and sustainability are at the forefront of our agenda," said Sean Wall, Executive Vice President, Network Operations and Aviation, DHL Express Asia Pacific. "While improving our service capabilities to exceed rapidly evolving customer demands, we remain aware of our responsibility to the environment and strive towards clean operations. Electric delivery vans represent the future of our global green network and drive our climate-neutral goals."
Julian Neo, Managing Director of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei, also said, “At DHL Express, our investments always aim to improve our carbon footprint. Advancements in electric vehicle technology play a crucial role and contribute significantly to our mission of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.This is an important milestone in our decarbonization journey and a step forward for making cleanlogistics a reality.”
This initiative forms part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s global target to electrify 60 percent of its last-mile delivery vehicles by 2030, strengthening its portfolio dedicated to EV logistics and supporting itssustainability roadmap. DHL Express plans to have more than 1,000 electric vehicles in Asia Pacific by 2024.
The change to electric vans is also aligned with the National Automotive Policy 2020 (NAP 2020), which emphasizes the importance of energy-efficient vehicles, as Malaysia commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As for final thoughts on this rollout, it would be interesting that DHL share with us data on how much actual savings they gain from going fully electric compared to the fuel used. It would be interesting to read on how much Ringgit is actually saved by running fully electric vehicles in the long run as here in Malaysia, the electricity usage is based on a rising tariff so the more you put into your vehicles, the more the monthly bills will go up after they cross a certain KiloWatt threshold. With the almost fixed cost of petrol (or diesel), there is that variable here that companies would need to take into account (Unless the electricity providers give a rebate of sorts, that is). This is aside from actually saving the whales of course. Just on the Ringgit and Sen part of the situation.
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