DHL Pioneers Electric Freight Transport in Africa Through Groundbreaking South African Pilot

DHL Supply Chain has launched Africa's first electric vehicle freight pilot programme in collaboration with Unilever and Volvo Trucks, marking a significant milestone in the continent's sustainable logistics development. The initiative, which began on 1 August 2025, represents a pioneering effort to advance low-carbon transport solutions across emerging markets.

The pilot features Africa's inaugural deployment of a fully electric Volvo FMX 6X4 tractor paired with an 18-metre curtain-sided superlink double trailer, specifically supporting Unilever's supply chain operations. This groundbreaking trial aims to evaluate electric vehicles' performance, sustainability benefits, and economic viability against traditional diesel alternatives within Africa's developing EV infrastructurelandscape.

"This pilot underscores DHL's commitment to sustainable logistics and transport solutions despite infrastructure challenges in Africa," explained Bremer Pauw, Managing Director of DHL Supply Chain Africa. "Whilst limitations remain in scaling EV solutions, strategic partnerships like this enable us to test and capitalise on available technologies, proving that low-carbon logistics can be possible, even in emerging markets."

Volvo Trucks South Africa has championed cleaner technologies since introducing Euro 5 trucks in 2012, already helping DHL customers reduce their environmental footprint. Eric Parry, Senior Manager Sustainable Solutions at Volvo Trucks South Africa, emphasised that "collaboration is key to accelerating Africa's transition to sustainable freight transport."

The electric tractor will operate along standard logistics routes, utilising charging infrastructure supplied by Aeversa at existing Unilever facilities. DHL's long-term objective involves transitioning to renewable energy for charging, further improving the vehicle's carbon footprint in future deployments.

Trial data will be benchmarked against DHL's existing Euro 5 diesel fleet, which already demonstrates lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to South Africa's current vehicle emission standards. Simphiwe Dlamini, National Transport Manager at Unilever South Africa, highlighted that such collaborations are "crucial steps toward reaching our sustainability objectives," supporting the company's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions across operations by 2039.

The pilot's outcomes will shape future sustainability strategies and potentially accelerate broader electric truck adoption within DHL's African operations.