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Debate on climate action closes Parcel+Post Expo 2020

Post CH, IKEA, Bank of America, CLIF Bar & Co., HP Inc., these are among the 88 companies that will make the switch to electric vehicles by 2030 as part of the EV100 Initiative.

This represents 75 corporate fleets totaling 410,000 vehicles, nine leasing companies with 4.4 million vehicles, 25 service contracts, 23 customer-charging programs with 4,300 sites, and 66 workplace charging programs consisting of 2,250 sites.
 
Sandra Roling, who heads the EV100 Initiate for The Climate Group, an international NGO that works to accelerate climate action, shared insights into the role of electric vehicles on the final day of the Parcel and Post Expo 2020 Thursday.
 
“We know that if we want to keep climate change at manageable levels, we need to get to net zero emissions by 2050 and that means we need to halve emissions within the next decade,” Roling says. “That is a very, very steep curve.”
 
She says 58 percent of light duty vehicle sales are expected to be electric by 2040 as solutions are developing quickly. Battery technology has improved driving prices lower and the vehicle range is expanding. But there are still supply issues.
 
However, companies have vast power to show the automotive industry that demand exists. In Europe, some two-thirds of all new vehicles are sold to companies.
 
Companies are also in a position to promote electric vehicles with their staff by offering workplace charging, for example.
 
Deutsche Post DHL Group (DP DHL), a founding member of EV100, committed to net zero by 2050, with 70 percent of first- and last-mile services to be clean by 2025. It already has more than 11,000 electric vehicles on the road. And with its StreetScooter, DP DHL saw  savings of about 60 percent to 70 percent on fuel and 60 percent to 80 percent on maintenance and repair.
 
Austrian Post, with 1,500 vehicles on the road, found that 70 percent of their routes could be completed with one charge.
 
EV100 member companies can choose their own paths to compliance, but they report to the Climate Group once a year to verify their progress.
 
“These are difficult times,” Roling says, “but this is also an opportunity, as many governments are now thinking about rebuilding their economies, to think about how we use those investments and the momentum that they create to not just rebuild economies but build back better. I think electrification has a big role to play within that.”
 
Philipp Heim, Project Manager at Kyburz Switzerland, an electric vehicle producer, says there are substantial environmental benefits in using their light electric vehicles in last-mile delivery.
 
The vehicles are built with the circular economy in mind, beginning with design, such as its steel frame that can be recycled when a vehicle is returned to the company.
 
Battery production is energy intensive, he says, but during usage, emissions are very low. And since Kyburz takes returns from customers who no longer need the vehicle, the battery can be used in a “second life” in a refurbished vehicle or in other applications, like energy storage systems. Eventually the battery is recycled at Kyburz in a process they developed that requires little energy and no chemicals, Heim says.
 
Its fleet management system includes stop reports that help with route optimization as well as eco reports that create notifications, for example if a driver stops too quickly. These reports can encourage more environmentally friendly driving.
 
It can be tricky determining if the switch to electric is right for a company. But the sales and business development director of Voltia, an electric van producer, offered several tips companies can consider before making a decision.
 
“We know that sustainability is more than just switching your vans to electric,” Pullman says, “but this step really helps the air we are breathing in the cities and you can start doing this immediately.”
 
The first step is to know the reason for the company’s change, which will help get buy-in of stakeholders. Companies must analyze routes, choose the right vehicles, and consider charging infrastructure. The company should then plan its financing and educate its drivers.
 
Things to be aware of, for instance, are that highways and hills tend to shorten the range for a fully electric van, so does the cold weather, he says. Recognize that an electric fleet will contain different size vehicles to match different scenarios in the plan.
 
One place to begin is with vehicles whose lease expires in the next twelve months. If they are operating on urban routes, these could be replaced with electric.
 
“Today you can service all your routes with electric vehicles if you want to,” he says. “You don’t have to wait for restrictions or low-emission zones to force you to do so.”
 
The Universal Postal Union also contributes to this work through its Online Solution for Carbon Analysis and Reporting – a platform to measure, report and reduce the impact of the postal industry on the climate.