While the name may ring a little foreign, Fed Ex, the US-based logistics service operates in South Africa under FedEx Express branding. According to TechCentral, the operator recently concluded its first electric vehicle trial in Johannesburg and will now start introducing EVs into its entire fleet in the country.
FedEx FedUp with combustion
It’s an admirable effort, considering EV charging infrastructure is still a relative rarity in South Africa, even though some car manufacturers have invested large amounts of money to erect more charging stations on main roads. It’s still not saturated enough to convince most locals to invest in electrically powered vehicles.
In the trial, FedEx Express made sure to assess “…the effectiveness to run a delivery vehicle on a standard route, fully loaded with customer packages on a typical workday,” reports TechCentral.
“Following the positive trial results, FedEx Express is now finalising plans to introduce permanent electric vehicles to its vehicle fleet in South Africa,” the company said in a statement.
FedEx globally has vowed to switch its entire fleet to electric by 2040. “We’re encouraged by the results we’ve seen from the initial vehicle test,” said the company’s South African operations MD Natasha Parmanand. “Not only did the vehicle perform well when travelling to and from customer sites, but it handled our local streets and conditions.”