FedEx tests last mile delivery electric carts in US and Canadian cities

FedEx EP1 cart by Brightdrop

Source: Brightdrop

Through 2022, FedEx plans to test electric carts for delivery on its specialty express routes in 10 cities in the United States and Canada.

The company hopes that electric delivery carts will help address the lack of parking, which is a major challenge facing all the big cities that serve it.

E-commerce sales were 86% above pre-pandemic levels in February. According to Mastercard data.. However, the number of parking lots and loading zones remained about the same in New York City and Toronto. There, the airlines of the world General Motors‘Bright Drop.

“You are servicing skyscrapers and very dense areas, which reduces the number of vehicles needed to service that route, operates courier services more efficiently, and You can avoid going back and forth. Trucks. ” Russ Musgrove, managing director of FedEx Express’s Global Vehicle, told CNBC during a cart demonstration in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Electrification of the global supply chain has been a slow process for the largest global fleet operators, despite the surge in transactions between delivery services and EV manufacturers. UPS promises to buy up to 10,000 delivery trucks. From arrival, And it uses electric bikes and ATVs in Europe. DHL I bought an electric plane Move the package from the hub to a small market.Amazon has a commitment to buy 100,000 EV from Rivian Become the first customer of Stellantis Ram Pro Master Electric Vehicle..

FedEx EP1 cart by Brightdrop

Source: Brightdrop

FedEx is encouraged by the early results of the pilot program. According to the company, tests in New York and Toronto show that courier companies can deliver 15% more packages per day using electric carts than traditional delivery models. By deploying trucks in electric carts and transporting courier services to routes in separate passenger vans, the company estimates that truck use on each route can be reduced by up to 25% per day.

The company admits that the sample size has been small so far in tests in New York and Toronto, and the 10 cities of this year’s pilot program have not yet been finalized. But Musgrove added that the company believes it has the greatest potential in international cities such as São Paulo, Barcelona and Hong Kong.

Diesel prices soar, 27% up last month alone, According to AAATravis Katz, CEO of BrightDrop, told CNBC that there is only growing interest in electric vehicles and EV delivery vehicles.

“Everyone is starting to see This electrification movement “Everyone understands that the current situation will not work in the long run due to the instability and rising prices in the global oil market,” Katz said.

He added: “E-commerce continues to grow and grow. How can we grow e-commerce without boosting costs, increasing emissions, and increasing congestion? The era of delivery.”

Testing electric vehicles is about deepening the relationship between FedEx and Bright Drop. Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, called shipping companies around the world. EV customer “Golden Goose”..

FedEx too Bright Drop EV600 Delivery Van Test As part of its $ 2 billion plan to be carbon-neutral by 2040, California has signed a contract to purchase up to 20,000 EV delivery vans over the next few years.

BrightDrop said in December that the cost of charging and operating an electric van was about $ 7,000 per vehicle, about 75% less than fueling diesel vehicles. Katz says that potential savings are currently only increasing.

FedEx EP1 cart by Brightdrop

Source: Brightdrop

“That was before gas prices soared,” Katz said. “At current prices, operational savings have almost doubled to about $ 14,000 a year.”

FedEx also wants electric carts to be able to shift operations before changes are enforced by zoning or legal changes.

New York City is piloting a Green Loading Zone project that will begin in the first half of 2022. Prioritize curve access for zero-emission vehicles and low-emission vehicles.. The Municipal Department of Transport has also launched an “Out-of-Business Hours Delivery” program that provides resources to help logistics companies deliver during off-peak hours.

“Many cities do not want to drive commercial vehicles during the day in some of these markets. Urban mobility is to allow the movement of goods during the day during business hours. It’s an element, “Musgrove said.

https://ift.tt/e1t6ws4 FedEx tests last mile delivery electric carts in US and Canadian cities

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