DHL Japan vehicle fleet fuel-cell verification tests feature in DaimlerChrysler Japan report
DHL, the world’s leading express and logistics company, has participated in a study on fleet-run verification tests of the F-cell, a fuel-cell vehicle from DaimlerChrysler AG. DHL Japan has been using the F-cell for delivery and pick-up operations since July 2006, as part of DHL’s Green Logistics environmental initiative in Japan. Initial results of the study were presented by DaimlerChrysler Japan Co., Ltd. (DCJ), at the 2007 JHFC Workshop on Monday 12 March 2007.
The fleet-run verification tests by DHL Japan and DCJ have been performed in accordance with principles established by the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC Project), which aims to “verify and evaluate a variety of effects regarding the use of fuel-cell vehicles and hydrogen energy through actual use by business”. At the 2007 JHFC Workshop, which was held at Asahi Hall in Yurakucho for the purpose of reporting on JHFC Project activities, a DCJ spokesperson presented initial results of the fleet-run verification, including data on mileage and hydrogen consumption since July 2006, a video showing the F-cell being used by DHL for pick-up and delivery services, and feedback from DHL drivers, who praised the vehicle’s high accelerating performance, quietness and eco-friendly non-gas emissions.
DHL’s market leadership position also means recognizing the impact of its activities on the environment and working to reducing the environmental costs of operations. In July 2006, DHL launched its new environmental initiative, Green Logistics, in Japan. The F-cell, which was introduced for DHL Japan’s pickup and delivery services as the first phase of this initiative, is the world’s first mass-produced fuel-cell car. Modeled on the Mercedes-Benz A Class, the F-cell is fuelled by compressed hydrogen. Since last July, DHL has been testing the F-cell under actual working conditions, by using it to collect and deliver documents in downtown Tokyo, especially the bustling Otemachi district. DHL has sent the data collected in these tests to DCJ and the collected data will be utilized for systematic improvement of fuel-cell vehicles and development of next-generation vehicles.
