FedEx expands fleet to add 1,000 Chanje electric vans

[November 20, 2018]  (Reuters) - FedEx Corp <FDX.N> said on Tuesday it plans to add 1,000 Chanje electric delivery vans to its fleet of vehicles in a bid to save on fuel and cut down on pollution.

A Federal Express truck makes its way down a freeway in San Diego, California August 22, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Blake

The package delivery company will buy 100 Chanje V8100 vans from the Los-Angeles based startup and lease the remaining from U.S. truck rental company Ryder System Inc <R.N>.

United Parcel Service Inc <UPS.N>, FedEx and Deutsche Post AG <DPWGn.DE> unit DHL have faced pressure from regulators around the world to lessen the environmental impact of their fleets.

UPS, FedEx and DHL have placed orders for Tesla Inc's <TSLA.O> all-electric Semis and already use Workhorse Group Inc's <WKHS.O> electric vans.

The Chanje electric vans will have a range of more than 150 miles when fully charged, with maximum cargo capacity of about 6,000 pounds.

Last year, Ryder said it would order electric delivery vans from Chanje and become the exclusive U.S. sales and lease partner for the company.

The Chanje V8100 vans are manufactured by FDG Electric Vehicles Ltd <0729.HK>, the startup's main investor, in Hangzhou, China.

The vans would be used for FedEx's commercial and residential pick-up and delivery services in California.

(Reporting by Arunima Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)

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