FedEx adds 1,000 electric vehicles to fleet for pickup, delivery services

FedEx is adding 1,000 all-electric delivery vehicles to its fleet for pickup and delivery services, the Memphis-based logistics giant announced Tuesday.

FedEx is buying 100 of the vehicles directly from Chanje Energy, a California startup, and leasing 900 from Ryder System, a company that will also provide vehicle support for the V8100s.

The vehicles, all of which will be operated in California, are Chanje V8100s. FedEx says these vehicles have a 150mile range and could help it avoid 20 tons of emissions per vehicle annually. They are manufactured in China.

V8100s are designed to meet the needs of last-mile deliveries, according to Chanje’s website.

FedEx Express will operate the vehicles.

Electric vehicles aren’t a new development for FedEx. The company says it has been using them in its pickup and delivery fleet since 2009. Earlier this year, FedEx announced it reserved 20 Tesla semi-trucks for its FedEx Freight fleet.

The V8100s will be a big boost for FedEx numbers-wise. FedEx’s electric vehicle fleet numbered 2,109 for the 2017 fiscal year, up from 1,176 electric vehicles in FY 2015.

In its most recent Global Citizenship Report, FedEx attributed that increase to electric ground support equipment for FedEx Express airport operations and electric forklifts at FedEx Freight.

That report also outlined the company’s continued efforts to reduce emissions intensity while increasing fuel efficiency among its aircraft and vehicles.

“As electric vehicle technology continues to improve and battery costs decrease, we see electric vehicles as a promising alternative to traditional fuel vans and trucks,” the report said.

FedEx’s ground transportation fleet totals more than 170,000 vehicles, per the report.

Max Garland covers FedEx, logistics and health care for The Commercial Appeal. Reach him at max.garland @commercialappeal.com or 901-5292651 and on Twitter @MaxGarlandTypes.