FedEx orders more electric step vans from Workhorse

Workhorse’s electric W56 step vans can drive up to 150 miles per charge of the 210 kWh battery, according to the manufacturer, and feature 1,000 cubic feet of space in the cargo box. Charging on a 20 kW Level 2 charger takes 11-12 hours, while a Level 3 CCS charger with 100 kW charge only takes 3-4 hours. Workhorse estimates an energy efficiency of 1.4 kWh/mi.

FedEx plans to achieve carbon-neutral global operations by 2040, so the delivery company will have to electrify more of its fleet by then. For now, the small-scale acquisition follows real-world delivery testing in the USA, during which FedEx found that “the W56 achieved an impressive 31 MPGe.” As a result, FedEx calculates: “Based on an average of 31,875 miles driven per vehicle per year, the purchase enables the avoidance of an estimated 607 metric tons of tailpipe emissions annually.”

“FedEx is cultivating a strong roster of electric vehicle models that can meet the demands of our network,” said Pat Donlon, Vice President of Global Vehicles, at FedEx. “In joining our fleet, the electric Workhorse W56 will be part of our story as we aim to transition our global parcel pickup and delivery fleet to all zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles by 2040.”

Workhorse kicked off a process with delivery service UPS in 2018, to design an electric delivery van for use by the international delivery company. This venture resulted in a fleet of 950 vehicles being ordered. By 2020, Workhorse had developed an electric pickup truck and was already facing production issues, putting the vehicle’s production on hold. In 2021, Workhorse was back with another major order announced, which was then paused a few months later to update the C-1000 electric transporter van, just after a new CEO was appointed.

workhorse.com, workhorse.com (vehicle specs)