Kuehne+Nagel has started making collections and deliveries using electric box trucks and Class 8 artic combinations charged and maintained at Zeem Solutions’ fleet-as-a-service facility in Los Angeles.
In Southern California, the air cargo freight forwarding fleet Kuehne+Nagel is seeing early success with Zeem Solutions’ zero-emission electric vehicle fleet-as-a-service delivering within a 90 miles radius.
The worldwide logistics organisation uses Zeem electric box trucks as part of its sustainable airport corridor effort, which employs commercial battery-electric vehicles and charging solutions for shippers seeking zero-emission pickup and delivery at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
“We aim to meet our clients’ needs, which increasingly includes elimination of supply chain emissions,” said Bill Kascel, SVP of sustainability solutions in North America at Kuehne+Nagel. “Not only were we able to start operating electric trucks immediately, without waiting for long vehicle lead times or building and installing any EV charging, which made it an easy and cost-effective decision, but we were also able to advance our own company’s goals of achieving a zero-carbon future—a win-win for us and our clients.”
Fleet drivers arrive at Zeem’s Los Angeles EV depot, park their cars, and drive away with a fully charged medium- or heavy-duty electric vehicle to run their routes, utilising driver amenities, regular maintenance, and secure overnight vehicle parking, all of which are included in a flat monthly fee. Kuehne+Nagel chose the Sea Electric Hino 195 Class 5 box trucks, the Lightning 6500 XD Class 6 box trucks, and the Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 trucks from Zeem’s vehicle line-up.
The EVs are used by Kuehne+Nagel to perform deliveries and collections to regional warehouses and distribution hubs within a 60-90 mile radius of the airport. With instruction from the Zeem team, drivers learn to maximise mileage on a charge by optimising range through appropriately regenerative braking and other new operating abilities. “We work closely with our fleet operators to make the transition to EVs smooth and seamless. We handle the infrastructure, charging, maintenance, and depot operations,” said Paul Gioupis, co-founder and CEO of Zeem Solutions. “We’re pleased to work with Kuehne+Nagel to help them reduce their emissions footprint and roll out electric trucks nationwide while achieving an EV operating cost near a typical diesel truck.”
