GLS and Hermes roll out new electric vehicles in Germany

Parcel carriers GLS and Hermes have both added new electric vehicles to their fleets in Germany.
GLS says it now offers completely emission-free delivery in downtown Düsseldorf after adding a FUSO eCanter truck, which has a range of around 100km and a payload of 4.3 tonnes.

The eCanter will ferry containers filled with parcels from the GLS depot in Neuss to the depot in downtown Düsseldorf.

From there other electric vehicles are used to complete the last mile. The fleet features eight VW eCrafters, light vehicles designed for urban multi-drops which currently deliver two thirds of the company’s package volume in the city. Two ebikes also carry out delivery tours of the city.

The company has installed a charging station at its consolidation warehouse to support the vehicles. GLS expects the new vehicle to generate CO2 savings of around 30 tonnes per year.

Gero Liebig, region manager west at GLS Germany, said: “Our ambitious goal: a completely emission-free delivery to the city centre.

“We have expanded the e-vehicle fleet step by step. The e-truck was the last link that we were still missing. ”

Hermes also recently announced that it was deploying 15 Mercedes-Benz eSprinters in the city of Hamburg.

The carrier evaluated the vehicles for parcel delivery in an urban environment, incorporating feedback from drivers about comfort and convenience.

Currently parcels are delivered by electric vehicles in Hamburg-Volksdorf, Berne, Meiendorf, Bramfeld, Farmsen, Rahlstedt, Stapelfeld, Jenfeld, Tonndorf, Marienthal, Horn, Eilbek and Hamm, with other areas to follow later.

The company expects it can save 137 tonnes of CO2 per year with the vehicles, with around 430kg saved per day.

Hermes has installed 42 electric charging stations in its Hamburg logistics centre.

it plans to add more vehicles during the year.

Marco Schlüter, chief operations officer of Hermes Germany, said: “With the new eSprinters, we are now expanding our electric fleet further, so that more and more delivery tours in the Hanseatic city are emission-free – a path that we took early on and consistently continue.

“Because high-performance and sustainable logistics offers are not in conflict with each other, but for us are a question of social responsibility.”

He added: “We are proud to expand our inventory of electric vehicles in Hamburg with the first eSprinters from series production and to use them actively in delivery. The new models combine sustainability and efficiency in equal measure.”