DHL Express, a leading international express service provider, announced the addition of six electric vans in Malaysia. These vehicles will be hitting the roads across the Klang Valley for last-mile deliveries.
The introduction marks the company as the first in the country to transition toward a commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleet.
The new vans will be deployed in early October, serving the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor areas. DHL will add a further 55 to bring the total number of EVs to 61 by 2023. These will be deployed to other states nationwide.
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 is replacing. It requires eight (8) 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. An anti-braking system (ABS) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) are among the standard features of the electric vans.
At the same time, DHL said it 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.
With the deployment of CAM EC35, DHL claims it will see fuel cost savings of 48 percent over conventional vehicles and a 33 percent decrease in CO2 emissions annually.
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 its sustainability roadmap. DHL Express plans to have more than 1,000 electric vehicles in Asia Pacific by 2024.