PowerFlex has completed the installation of 415 EV chargers for DHL Express, a provider of international express shipping services.
The chargers, installed at DHL facilities in major U.S. markets, are equipped with PowerFlex X: energy management software that monitors, tracks and reports on charging activities, integrated with DHL’s telematics platforms.
“At DHL Express, we are always looking for ways to make our operations more sustainable,” says DHL’s Laurice Bancroft. “Fleet electrification is one of the many strategies we’ve deployed to reduce our carbon footprint as we work toward our goal of zero-emissions. We selected PowerFlex to complete our EV charging stations because of their deep industry experience that helped us find a creative solution to meet our EV fleet charging needs.”
PowerFlex completed the first installation with DHL in 2020 and customized the project to optimize the charging experience around the daily delivery operations of DHL. The charging stations were installed overhead to keep them out of the vehicles’ path of travel, yet remain accessible for drivers to plug in at the end of the day.
By reviewing the logistical needs of each fleet depot, PowerFlex recommended that DHL install Level 2 charging stations, which are typically more reliable, economically priced and less power-intensive than Level 3 DC fast chargers. Another advantage of PowerFlex Level 2 chargers is the ability to increase the number of chargers onsite to enable future expansion or provide spare chargers as backup if necessary, the company says.
PowerFlex L2 chargers are equipped with adaptive load management (ALM), intelligent energy management software that balances the power usage across the network of chargers to minimize expensive spikes in energy demand. With ALM, DHL was able to install double the number of chargers in comparison to unmanaged charging with the same power limit and onsite utility infrastructure.
For the projects, PowerFlex says it provided DHL a full suite of services, including site feasibility assessments, turnkey design and installation, hardware and software solutions, and asset management and operations and maintenance services.