FedEx to Add 42 Electric Charging Stations in California
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FedEx Corp. plans to electrify 42 FedEx stations in California, in the next phase of its electric vehicle rollout — calling it one of the largest deployments of integrated charging infrastructure by a single commercial fleet to date.
The development comes through an agreement with Chanje Energy Inc., which began construction on electronic direct current charging stations in January.
The charging system was designed specifically for FedEx. Among its features are:
- Higher maximum power output than standard Level 2 chargers.
- Variable rate technology allowing FedEx to proactively adjust charging speed or shift energy usage away from peak hours to minimize electric utility bills.
- DC charging hardware, which is 10% more efficient than alternating current charging.
- Software platform for remote monitoring and real-time charger controls.
FedEx Corp. ranks No. 2 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.
The Memphis, Tenn.-based carrier announced the addition of 1,000 Chanje V8100 electric delivery vehicles to its fleet in November 2018. It is purchasing 100 of the vehicles from Chanje and leasing 900 from Ryder System Inc.
Thanks to @FedEx we’re increasing the number of DC charge ports in California by 28%. This will be accomplished as FedEx electrifies 42 stations across the state. https://t.co/5yidBBigBq — Chanje (@ChanjeEnergy) February 27, 2020
Chanje is scheduled to begin production of the EVs later this year. The vehicles are manufactured by FDG Electric Vehicles Limited in Hangzhou, China, and purchased through Chanje, the company’s subsidiary for global business. They will be delivered on a rolling basis over the next year. Ryder will provide maintenance and distribution support services for all of the vehicles.
“The vehicles and DC charging infrastructure will not only help FedEx meet our operational efficiency and sustainability goals, but provide learning, scaling and experience to others in the vehicle electrification journey,” Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer at FedEx Corp., said in a release. — Transport Topics
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