DHL Express Russia has started using electric vehicles on its courier routes for express deliveries in Moscow as it celebrates its 30th anniversary in the country.
With effect from 21 May 2015, the first two branded Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicles have been deployed to deliver documents and small shipments in the centre of Moscow. These are compact cars ensuring minimum delivery time even in difficult transport conditions.
Adrian Marley, DHL Express Managing Director in Russia, CIS & South East Europe, said: “DHL Express strives to provide services that meet the highest environmental standards across the world, and Russia is no exception. Operating electric vehicles on our courier routes is more than just an experiment, it is a very important step towards implementing the newest technologies in our day-to-day business. We have tested these electric cars extensively and have come to the conclusion that, in many cases, they can replace conventionally fuelled vehicles on specific routes.”
The DHL Express electric vehicles went into operation after extensive tests in different weather conditions. Initially, their batteries will be charged at DHL’s own facilities during the night. A full battery charge is enough to cover a typical courier’s working day in the centre of Moscow. Another important benefit of electric cars is the availability of free parking slots in paid parking zones, DHL stressed.
Currently, DHL Express operates over 400 electric vehicles in countries around the world including France, Germany, Belgium and Denmark, which is part of the company’s GoGreen initiative. The overall fleet of alternative or technically modified vehicles at Deutsche Post DHL amounts to over 11,000.
Meanwhile, DHL Express is also highlighting its 30 years of operation in Russia. Founded in Moscow in 1984 as the first express services provider in former USSR, DHL has rapidly developed its business in Russia. The company now employs more than 2,500 certified international specialists enabling shipments to be delivered to many locations in Europe and the USA by the beginning of the next working day.
DHL Russia regularly beats its own records in terms of shipping volumes, with the new record posted in December 2014 when it delivered 1.5 million shipments to its customers in Russia, with more than 100,000 shipments processed on several record-breaking days during the peak season respectively.
In 2011, DHL Express was the first express services provider in Russia to launch a dedicated domestic charter flight between Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. These flights are operated on an annual basis in December, during the period of high demand for express delivery, by a TU-204C freighter. In 2013, the route was extended to Irkutsk and helped DHL Express to deliver more than 24,000 shipments to more than 4,000 customers in Russian regions in time. In addition, DHL Express has a big delivery fleet counting more than 940 modern vehicles.
Russia is the country with the northernmost DHL Express office located in Norilsk. Norilsk is known to be one of the coldest and windiest cities on earth with nine snowy months per year and temperature reaching -50 °C.
