DHL puts 50 Orange EV yard trucks to work, plans to add 50 more
DHL was the first major company to put an all-electric class 8 yard truck into service in 2015. Now, DHL has 50 electric yard trucks from Orange EV in its logistics fleet, with plans to fully phase out diesel trucks by 2025.
Whether you call them terminal trucks, yard dogs, mules, or anything else, these heavy-duty trucks do work that’s ideally suited to electrification. It’s all low-speed, extreme-torque, short distance, high-precision operation, all the time. And the quiet, vibration-free, instant power operation of electric drive is in its element. DHL knows this better than most, which is why the company has electric yard trucks currently deployed at more than 30 DHL Supply Chain sites across the US – all part of DHL’s goal to both phase out diesel trucks by 2025 and reducing logistics-related carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
“We cannot ignore the impact our operations have on the environment as a logistics company and therefore we are committed to implementing more sustainable approaches to doing business,” explains Stephan Schablinski, VP of “GoGreen” initiatives at DHL Supply Chain. “Through partnerships with companies like Orange EV we have been able to develop innovative solutions that reimagine the industry of logistics and take us closer to a green future.”
It’s worth noting, too, that the those first electric yard trucks DHL put into service back in 2015. Affectionally dubbed “Sparky I” and “Sparky II,” the electric semi trucks have individually clocked more than 24,000 hours and 17,000 hours of operation. What’s more: they’re still on their original battery packs.
“DHL Supply Chain’s first two Orange EV orders are a great example of how we work together to right-size a fleet’s EV projects to economically meet site specifications and rigorous duty cycles,” says Kurt Neutgens, Orange EV co-founder, President, and CTO. “DHL Supply Chain first purchased an Extended Duty truck and charger … and DHL’s well-trained, committed team maximized opportunity charging to keep both trucks running at peak efficiency.”
DHL Supply Chain announced plans to double its current electric yard truck fleet last month – a move that would bring them to 100 all-electric Orange EV class 8 trucks and 0 diesels over the next two years.
Electrek’s Take
There was a line in Orange EV’s press release that’s been playing “on repeat” in my head since I read it. “Diesel yard trucks which are often used just 5 years or 15,000 hours before maintenance and repair costs become prohibitively expensive,” it reads. “In its deployed fleet, Orange EV currently has 35 trucks exceeding 15,000 hours of operation – 14 of which have surpassed 20,000 hours – with many more that will cross those thresholds soon.”
I called Mike Switzer, my co-host on The Heavy Equipment Podcast and a fleet manager who’s tracked thousands of assets in his twenty-plus years in the industry, and asked him if that sounded right.
“Here’s the thing,” he said. “Typically, on-road fleets are tracked in miles. We do oil changes every 5-10,000 miles and try to maintain a 400-500,000 overhaul on the heavy equipment trucks. That’s barring clutch replacements, if needed, stuff that gets messed up. Now, with the automated manuals, a lot of that goes out the window and it all makes it to the rebuild point where we down the truck (hopefully scheduled) between 400 and 500,000 miles, so 15,000 hours you’re right there. Obviously a heavy haul places a bigger toll on the powertrain vs. someone that’s pulling general freight, but some of the general freight guys are going 900,000 or even a million miles on an engine just because of the work load. That’s not to say there’s not a place for electric, there definitely is and I think the yards and ports are a great place for it, but I wouldn’t say that 15,000 hours is any kind of real limit.”
Some quick, back-of-the napkin math tells me that 15,000 hours times an average 30 MPH would put us at 450,000 miles. Right in Mike’s 400-500,000 mile rebuild window, in other words. Admittedly, 30 MPH is high for a terminal truck, but the constant heavy load stop-and-go nature of a yard truck’s day to day more than makes up the difference in my view … and the fact that we’re talking about trucks that are coming up on 9 years of continuous heavy duty operation on the original batteries?
EVs can’t get a much better endorsement than that.
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The cheapest and smallest Volvo EV is off to a hot start. After only five months on the market, the Volvo EX30 topped BMW’s Mini in Europe’s small premium segment as sales continued surging.
Volvo EX30 passes Mini in EU sales
Since EX30 production began in Zhangjiakoui, China, last fall, Volvo’s compact EV is already a top seller.
Despite its small size, the Volvo EX30 is having a significant impact. According to global data collection firm Dataforce, Volvo’s sales rose 27% last month in Europe. With over 32,800 models sold, Volvo propelled to number 14, up from 17 last year.
The EX30 accounted for the majority of the growth. Volvo’s EX30 topped the small premium segment, surpassing BMW’s Mini by 1,029 in sales.
Volvo’s EX30 is the third-best-selling EV in Europe through May, with 30,195 models sold. The Tesla Model Y took the top spot with over 79,100. Tesla’s Model 3 was second with 38,863 units sold, up 38% YOY.
The growth comes after the EU revealed plans for additional tariffs on EVs made in China last week. Volvo’s deputy CEO, Bjorn Annwall, criticized the decision, saying it would only hurt the buyer.
Starting at around 36,000 euros ($38,500), Volvo’s EX30 is one of the most affordable EVs on the market.
Although Volvo had already planned to begin EX30 production in the EU in 2025, Annwall hinted the US-bound model would likely come from Belgium.
Volvo plans to introduce the EX30 in over 90 countries by the end of the year. In the US, the EX30 starts at $34,950. It’s available in two powertrains, a single-motor extended range, and a twin-motor performance, offering up to 275 miles of range.
As you would expect from Volvo, the EX30 has the latest safety and connectivity tech. It includes Google built-in with Apple CarPlay as standard.
Electrek’s Take
Volvo EX30 sales surging in Europe is no surprise as demand for affordable EVs continues climbing. Most automakers are planning or have already launched low-cost EVs.
Kia opened orders for its EV3 in Korea, starting at $30,700 (KRW 42.08 million). Next year, Kia is expected to launch the EV4, an entry-level electric sedan, starting at around $35,000 (see a video of it captured in the wild).
Volkswagen finished design work on its ID.2all, a $27,000 (25,000) euro electric car. The production ID.2all is expected to debut later this year, with sales kicking off in 2025.
Hyundai, Ford, GM, BMW, Nissan, and others have all revealed plans to launch more affordable EVs over the next few years.
Volvo’s early commitment to go all-electric is already paying off as the EX30 takes market share.
Source: Automotive News
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The Italian luxury sports car maker is preparing to launch its first EV. Ferrari’s new e-building opened its doors on Friday with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in attendance. The new plant, entirely powered by renewable energy, is set to launch the first Ferrari EV sports car.
Ferrari’s first fully electric sports car will be built at the new e-building. CEO Benedetto Vigna said the new factory will “light up” Ferrari’s future.
The e-building will enable Ferrari to continue to “audaciously redefine the limits of what’s possible.” Ferrari’s first EV sports car will be built at the facility alongside its next-gen hybrids and ICE vehicles. The facility will also produce batteries, electric motors, and inverters for Ferrari’s EV.
Ferrari has invested roughly $214 million (200 million euros) to make the facility a reality. After opening the doors Friday, Ferrari said the plant will help improve efficiency and flexibility.
The building will be entirely powered by renewable energy. Over 3,000 solar panels on the roof produce 1.3 MW of energy. Ferrari said that by reusing rainwater and energy in the production cycle, 60% of the energy used for battery and motor testing would be recovered and redirected.
Ferrari’s new e-building opens with first EV coming soon
The new inauguration comes after sources told Reuters this week that Ferrari’s first EV sports car will cost at least $535,000 (500,000 euros).
According to the sources, Ferrari is already developing its second electric vehicle. It’s still in its early stages but will be built at the new e-building.
Ferrari launched its first plug-in hybrid last year, the SF90 Stradale, as it electrifies the brand. By 2026, Ferrari aims for EVs and PHEVs to account for 60% of sales.
The first fully electric Ferrari is expected to be revealed by the end of the year. Check back soon for more info.
Meanwhile, luxury rival Lamborghini revealed its first electric car, the Lanzador EV, last August (check out Lamborghini’s first EV here). Lamborghini is expected to launch the Lanzador in 2028.
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Environment
Spy photos hint at Xiaomi’s quick encore to the SU7 EV to compete against the Tesla Model Y
It’s only been six months since Xiaomi Automobile launched its first-ever BEV – the SU7. Following early success, Xiaomi has been developing a second model, and spy images from local media outlets in China have given us a (camouflaged) glimpse at the EV’s exterior design.
Xiaomi Automobile is the EV-centric arm of one of China’s largest smartphone and electronics manufacturers, founded three years ago. After following much of its surprisingly quick and encouraging process in BEV development, Xiaomi launched its flagship SU7 EV in December of 2023, garnering an impressive number of orders from Chinese consumers loyal to the parent brand.
The infant EV model received over 50,000 orders in the first 27 minutes of going on sale, creating a waitlist of up to seven months. This incited Xiaomi Automobile to restructure its production strategy to manufacture and deliver more SU7s than initially planned to keep up with growing demand.
After just 32 days of production, Xiaomi celebrated its 10,000th SU7 build. By May 2024, we reported the young automaker was already developing a second all-electric model to compete against the globally popular Tesla Model Y.
Most recently, local media outlets in China have captured spy photos of what appears to be Xiaomi’s new EV – a sleek SUV coupe.
Spy images show a sleek new Xiaomi coupe SUV EV
Local media outlet Xchuxing posted the spy images seen above, which appear to be the public’s first glimpse at Xiaomi’s next EV. The report also states the new model is a coupe SUV with a design similar to the Ferrari Purosangue and is expected to be released sometime in 2025.
These details align with our previous reports on Xiaomi’s second EV, which is expected to continue competing against Porsche and, in this instance, Tesla.
As you can see from the spy images, the covered Xiaomi EV has a LiDAR sensor on its roof, expected to be the same as its SU7 sibling, to enable the automaker’s NOA (Navigate on Pilot) ADAS.
The rear is larger than the SU7 sedan but appears to feature the same tail light design, further hinting that these spy images are, in fact, Xiaomi’s next EV. We will know more once the Chinese automaker publicly confirms the new model, hopefully alongside some non-camouflaged images.
However, from what we’ve seen so far, it looks sharp. We hope to learn more soon and report back.
Credit for all images: xchuxing.com
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