DHL Express France has opened a new depot in Amiens, northern France, and has tested a new 100%electric vehicle for urban deliveries in Toulouse, in the south-west of the country.
The new 500 sqm depot is expected to improve the service quality for 500 regional customers byreducing parcel processing times. The depot, with seven staff, processes some 500 parcels a day,equalling seven tonnes of cargo, with three tonnes of imports handled in the morning and fourtonnes of exports in the evening. The automated sorting system can handle up to 800 parcels perhour and shipments are scanned in real-time.
DHL said the new facility represents a key platform for international trade of local companiescovering the whole Somme department and part of the Pas-de-Calais region. International shipmentsare transported via Brussels international airport.
Florence Noblot, CEO of DHL Express France, said: “This platform benefits from the cutting edgetechnology to support our local clients in their international growth by optimising the deliverytimes and monitoring of the shipments they have entrusted us with. This investment is part of thecomprehensive plan to strengthen our network in France, which already resulted in relocating orrestructuring 20 of our depots in the last 18 months.”
Meanwhile, DHL this week carried out a two-day test of an eco-friendly “Colibus” with a 750 kgpayload for parcel deliveries in the centre of Toulouse. The 100% electric vehicle is especiallydesigned for short delivery rounds with a cruising range of 80 km and maximum speed of 70 km/h.With the trial in real-time conditions, DHL Express is testing the ability of the Colibus to carryout a complete delivery tour of 40 km to see if it meets local requirements.
The deployment is part of Toulouse’s environmental policy which prohibits access to the citycentre for thermal vehicles except for delivery vehicles between 9:30-11:30 am in the morning. Inresponse, DHL Express is now making deliveries in the city centre by bicycle, electrically-powered ‘ triporteurs’ (three-wheel delivery bicycles for heavier loads) and electric trucks.
DHL Express France said it now uses the triporteurs in nine French cities and last yeardelivered 103,000 parcels by this method.
