Deutsche Post reports 40,000 electric vehicles in Germany

Image: DHL Group | Rudolf Wichert

On International Green Postal Day, the participating postal companies of the International Post Corporation (IPC) highlight their progress in reducing CO2 emissions. They have lowered their total annual emissions by 41 percent compared to the reference year of 2008. Their shared climate goal for 2030 is a 50 percent reduction. Key factors driving this progress include increased use of renewable energy in postal facilities and the gradual transition of delivery fleets to alternative power sources.

Deutsche Post AG now has 40,000 electric vehicles solely in Germany, marking another milestone in the electrification of its delivery operations. With the brands Deutsche Post and DHL, it operates the world’s largest electric delivery fleet for a postal company in a single market, according to the company. These vehicles are charged at 44,400 charging stations using 95 percent renewable electricity. In addition to delivery fleets, decarbonizing long-distance transportation is also gaining increasing attention within the postal industry. Deutsche Post currently uses 50 electric trucks and 570 bio-CNG trucks for package and mail delivery.

"Climate change is a physical problem, not a political one, and we must solve it. The ‘Green Postal Day’ shows that postal companies around the world are making measurable progress in climate protection," says Tobias Meyer, CEO of DHL Group. "The successful electrification of deliveries, especially here in Germany, demonstrates what is already possible today. Now we must consistently push forward with decarbonization in long-distance transportation and air freight to achieve our climate goals across the entire supply chain."

"With 40,000 electric vehicles now used for deliveries, we underscore our leadership in e-mobility," says Nikola Hagleitner, CEO of Post & Paket Deutschland. "Electrifying our fleet is a clear commitment to greener deliveries and part of our long-term strategy. The growing demand from our customers for sustainable logistics solutions strengthens our resolve to move forward in this direction."

A survey of 2,500 e-retailers in 19 countries conducted through IPC found that 70 percent were satisfied with postal companies’ sustainability performance. Retailers from China, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States were surveyed. The progress made by postal companies in adopting more sustainable logistics is thus receiving positive feedback from the online retailers polled.

To increase transparency regarding emissions from online orders, 13 postal companies within the IPC have introduced the “Carbon Footprint Calculator.” This tool tracks the emissions of individual shipments throughout the delivery chain. The company states that data has already been collected for 95 million parcel deliveries. By including more postal companies, the calculator aims to become the leading standard for calculating CO2 emissions of cross-border shipments in the future.

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About the author

Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.

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