TNT has unveiled the express industry`s first fully electric vehicle fleet in China at the Responsible Transport Forum at the Dutch Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.
"I am very proud that TNT is taking actions to lead the introduction of zero emission delivery vehicles in China," said TNT chief executive Peter Bakker. "With China being one of our most important markets, today`s electric delivery vehicle launch is a meaningful step towards our commitment to a sustainable future."
TNT`s global objective is to improve its carbon dioxide efficiency by 45 per cent by 2020. "As a company vision, TNT aims to contribute to a low carbon emission express industry through our daily operations," said Mr Bakker.
Produced by Dongfeng Motor, TNT`s Chinese electric vehicle fleet is locally designed, manufactured and assembled. After a successful three-month trial operation, the electric delivery fleet is now fully operational in Shanghai, reports the UK`s Transport Intelligence.
"Dongfeng is one of the earliest auto companies to invest in R&D for new energy vehicles in China. We have also been a strong industry advocate for the development of electric vehicles in promoting low carbon transport," said Dongfeng president Xu Ping. "New energy vehicles are the future, and are central to our core strategy to foster a more sustainable transportation industry. Dongfeng is strongly committed to leading the sector in promoting the wide scale adoption of new energy vehicles."
Designed to meet the distinct operational requirements of the express industry, these zero-emissions vehicles are powered by lithium batteries and feature hi-tech monitoring systems that record power consumption data during operation, allowing for continuous optimisation for delivery routes. The vehicles take two-and-a-half hours to be fully charged and can travel more than 120 kilometres on a full charge.