FedEx Express has deployed its first ten electric delivery vehicles in South Africa.

FedEx aims to transform its entire global pickup and delivery fleet to zero-emission electric vehicles by 2040, also in South Africa.

To achieve this, FedEx Express will purchase 50% of its new vehicles as electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025, with 100% of purchases to be electric by 2030. 

In 2021, FedEx conducted EV trials in South Africa to test the technology and assess its operational effectiveness on a standard route, with the vehicle fully loaded with packages.

The EVs introduced into the FedEx fleet in South Africa are Maxus eDeliver 3 vehicles, imported from China. They have, on a full charge, an operational range of 240 km.

For now, the vehicles are only operating in Gauteng. 

The vehicles are charged at station bays at the FedEx Express Operations facility using ABB chargers, with ten AC chargers and one DC charger. 

In addition, the vehicles are compatible with charging ports found at malls in and around Gauteng.   

“We have ambitious sustainability goals and electrifying a substantial portion of our South African fleet of over 100 motorised vehicles is a crucial component of our path to carbon-neutral operations,” FedEx Express sub-Saharan Africa operations MD Natasha Parmanand tells Engineering News Online.

“Due to performance and operational requirements, the electrification of each vehicle class presents different opportunities and challenges, but across our entire FedEx fleet, we are committed to replacing existing vehicles with zero-tailpipe emission vehicles by 2040, using a phased approach.”

Parmanand adds that FedEx’s approach to fleet replacement and electrification is focused on identifying the right vehicle solution in the right application. 

“We are actively engaging local original equipment manufacturers around the world to create the most efficient and sustainable vehicle fleet for our operation.”

"With the explosion of e-commerce, transforming our operations to be more sustainable is now more important than ever,” notes Parmanand.

“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.”

In 2003, FedEx was the first delivery company to use hybrid vehicles for pickup and delivery, and in 1994 the company used its first EV– an acid battery-powered vehicle – in California, in the US.