SUSTAINABILITY
The move to net zero carbon emissions is now a global concern , meaning that sustainability is now high on the list of priorities in every boardroom .
Any business with a large fleet of vehicles faces a raft of challenges in the bid to cut its carbon output . For logistics companies with a huge fleet of trucks that often need to travel vast distances , the switch from diesel to electric lorries is even more exacting .
For this piece , we spoke to two companies on different sides of the e-trucks divide : a truck manufacturer and a truck user
The truck user : DFDS shipping & logistics Denmark-based DFDS is Northern Europe ' s largest shipping and logistics company , with 8,000 employees across 20 countries . When it comes to deploying electric trucks in its fleet , DFDS is in the vanguard of logistics companies .
In December 2021 , it placed an order with Volvo Trucks for 25 heavy electric trucks , on top of the 100 Volvo FM electric trucks it made in October .
Asked what its road map is for switching completely from diesel to e-trucks , Niklas Andersson , DFDS Executive VP & Head of Logistics Division revealed the company is “ determined ” to be carbon neutral by 2050 but that electrifying its entire fleet will take time , “ due to the lack of sufficient and reliable charging infrastructure .”
He adds : “ This is why we will need to continue working with our customers and partners to explore ways to overcome such obstacles , in order to help us make the switch .”
In the meantime , as well as adding e-trucks to its fleet the company is working to improve the fuel efficiency of its regular fleet , supported by driver training , and also use biofuels “ in almost all locations ”, says Andersson .
“ A big problem is the lack of a sufficient and reliable charging infrastructure ”
NIKLAS ANDERSSON , EXECUTIVE VP & HEAD OF LOGISTICS DIVISION , DFDS
Volvo electric truck
84 April 2022