South Africa: DHL delivers country’s first Formula E race to Cape Town

DHL is pioneering green logistics and cutting-edge, eco-friendly freight solutions as a founding partner of Formula E. The race will include the highly anticipated Gen3, the fastest, most powerful, and efficient electric race car ever built. Using biofuels for all road and sea freight, DHL will travel over 89,000 kilometers for the entire season, moving approximately 415 tons of valuable freight per race.

DHL, the official Founding and Logistics Partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is providing end-to-end logistics solutions for the inaugural E-Prix in the Mother City. The inner-city street race forms part of an extended partnership between Formula E and DHL to advocate for e-mobility, smart cities, and low-carbon lifestyles. Utilizing its multimodal freight expertise, DHL transported the race cars, batteries, charging units, and media and broadcasting equipment to Cape Town. The tailored multimodal transport solution includes value-added services such as customs clearance, cargo handling at the port, and local delivery.

Inaugurated in 2014, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the world’s first-ever net zero carbon motor sport. The Cape Town race will serve as the fifth round of the 2022-23 Formula E season and will feature the latest innovations in electric vehicles with the all-new GEN3 model – the fastest, lightest, most powerful, and most efficient electric race car ever built.  

Using biofuels for all road and sea freight, the DHL partnership provides state-of-the-art sustainable logistics that maximize efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions, dovetailing seamlessly with Formula E’s founding purpose on sustainability. DHL will travel over 89,000 kilometers for the entire Formula E season, moving approximately 415 tons of valuable freight per race.

Clement Blanc, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Sub-Saharan Africa, said “We are thrilled to be part of a sporting event of this magnitude for the first time both in Cape Town, South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The vision of Formula E paves the way for the road cars of tomorrow, so we can all be part of it. Emissions reduction is everyone’s responsibility, and we look forward to working with Formula E to promote sustainable progress globally. In partnership with Formula E and as part of our commitment to reduce emissions to net-zero by 2050, we’ll continue to drive green strategies in logistical processes.”

Matt Scammell, Chief Commercial Officer at Formula E said “DHL is fundamental in not just transporting all our cars and equipment to our races around the world, but vital in ensuring we’re the most sustainable sport in the world. Sustainable freight strategies are a core component in maintaining our net zero carbon status and we’re pleased to have a partner so well aligned to our purpose and who pioneer such innovative freight solutions.”

Another significant milestone for the Mother City event is that Cape Town International Airport welcomed two of the biggest aircraft ever to land at its terminals, transporting race cargo. To date, 11 sea freight containers have also arrived transporting racing equipment. As the official logistics partner, DHL unpacks the cars and race infrastructure when they arrive. After the race, the process reverses, taking up to two days. The challenge is to consistently deliver on time and in an environmentally friendly manner.

In 2008, DHL became the first logistics company to commit to a measurable carbon efficiency target, pledging to improve carbon efficiency by 30% (versus 2007) by 2021 – a goal achieved four years ahead of schedule. The group also committed to electrifying 60% of its last-mile fleet by 2030, putting more than 80,000 e-vehicles on the road.