FedEx Office in collaboration with Ford Pro announced a pilot program that will put ten Ford E-Transit vans to work across its FedEx SameDay City network as part of the goal to transition its entire pickup and delivery fleet to zero tailpipe emission vehicles by 2040.
The vehicles are being tested in nine markets coast-to-coast to assess performance in different road and weather conditions: Chandler, Ariz., Newark, Calif., Boca Raton, Fla., Clearwater, Fla., Plantation, Fla., Chicago, Ill., Madison Heights, Mich., Allen, Texas and Frisco, Texas.
With a targeted range of 126 miles on a single charge, FedEx believes the Ford E-Transit is an ideal fit for local deliveries. FedEx Office has installed charging stations dedicated to these vehicles at each van’s home location and will supplement with remote charging stations in each market as needed to meet charging needs along courier routes.
“The EV market for commercial vehicles now has more options than ever before, enabling FedEx Office to explore different sustainable vehicle technologies to incorporate into our fleet as FedEx works to electrify its entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet by 2040,” said Brian Philips, president and CEO of FedEx Office. “FedEx SameDay City is a perfect use-case for testing the capabilities of the Ford E-Transit.
“With the vehicle’s range and the availability of charging infrastructure, we are excited to see how this vehicle performs in our operation and helps us understand the path forward to scale an electrification strategy for FedEx Office,” Phillips continued.
FedEx has an ambitious goal of achieving global carbon neutral operations by 2040. This target includes transforming the entire FedEx parcel pickup and delivery fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles by 2040. As part of this transition, FedEx Office is first to test the Ford E-Transit for FedEx which helps FedEx Office better understand how to transition to electric transportation operations.
"We are thrilled FedEx Office selected E-Transit as the test battery electric vehicle for FedEx SameDay City," said Tim Baughman, general manager Ford Pro North America. "Ford Pro’s advancements in technology and work-ready electric products will help companies like FedEx improve productivity, lower ownership cost and accelerate a carbon emissions free future."
In addition to the Ford E-Transit, Roxo, the FedEx SameDay Bot, is being designed for same-day, last-mile delivery. As e-commerce volumes continue to rise, Roxo could help transform the future of shipping and logistics by making widespread same-day, last-mile delivery a reality while providing a safer, more sustainable solution with reduced street traffic and emissions.
FedEx SameDay City is the company’s local shipping option, which offers door-to-door delivery of time-sensitive parcels within hours with real-time notifications.