DHL Express launched a pilot project for a hydrogen fuel cell long-haul truck in China. This project aims to verify the performance of hydrogen fuel technology in heavy-duty trucks in actual use, and gather practical experience to promote the application of hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks in logistics.
The trials will last for 4 weeks and will be carried out using hydrogen fuel trucks with an operating range of 350 km. The test will travel from DHL’s North Asia Hub at Pudong Airport and DHL’s Shanghai-Jiaxing Service Center on Jingtang Road and then used for long-distance transportation of import and export express shipments, with a daily mileage of over 140 kilometers.
“The use of sustainable and clean fuels will effectively reduce CO2 emissions in the logistics and transportation industry, as we continue to increase the electrification ratio of our fleet, we are also starting to explore alternative propulsion systems for long-distance transportation,” said DHL Express Senior Vice President China Agency Operations. , Wu Mangmang in his statement quoted from China Trucks today, Tuesday 13/9/2022.
According to Wu, DHL’s industrial partners will use the experience gained from this pilot project to work towards decarbonizing the logistics industry.
In March 2021, said Wu, DHL Express parent company Deutsche Post DHL published a new sustainability roadmap, setting clear mid- and long-term goals and action plans around ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance).
Then by 2030, the Group of companies aims to achieve 60% electrification of vehicle pick-up and delivery ground operations worldwide. In China, DHL Express is committed to achieving a 30% share of green-fuel long-haul trucks, in addition to completing its overall goal on schedule.
DHL Express China Director of Ground Operations Xu Debin said electric trucks are currently widely used for long-distance pick-up and delivery and the fleet electrification rate at DHL has exceeded 20%.
“Long distance transport capacity and high intensity, hydrogen batteries have great potential for development and broad application prospects. The results of this trial will be used to assess the potential of hydrogen fuel as an alternative energy source and offer support for further planning and decision making,” he said.
