FedEx Corp. started construction on electronic DC (direct current) charging stations in January, and has now announced the next phase of its electric vehicle rollout. Through an agreement with Chanje Energy Inc., the company plans to electrify 42 FedEx stations in California, making it one of the largest deployments of integrated charging infrastructure by a single commercial fleet to date.

FedEx announced the addition of 1,000 Chanje V8100 electric delivery vehicles to its fleet last November. (Earlier post.) FedEx is purchasing 100 of the vehicles from Chanje Energy Inc. and leasing 900 from Ryder System, Inc.

The new agreement will provide an infrastructure to support the continued rollout of its electric vehicle fleet.

The DC charging system was designed specifically for FedEx. The project will support daily charging for more than 1,000 electric vehicles, which were leased to FedEx. Notable features include:

• Higher maximum power output than standard Level 2 chargers;

• Variable rate technology allowing FedEx to proactively adjust charging speed or shift energy usage away from peak hours to minimize electric utility bills;

• DC (direct current) charging hardware, which is 10% more efficient than AC (alternating current) charging; and

• Software platform for remote monitoring and real-time charger controls.

Chanje Energy Inc. will begin production of the EVs later this year. The vehicles are manufactured by FDG Electric Vehicles Limited in Hangzhou, China, and purchased through Chanje Energy Inc., the company’s subsidiary for global business. They will be delivered on a rolling basis over the next year. Ryder System, Inc. will provide maintenance and distribution support services for all of the vehicles.

FedEx has been using all-electric vehicles as part of its pickup-and-delivery fleet since 2009. The company believes that wider adoption of alternative-fuel, electric and hybrid electric vehicles in transportation will play a key role in reducing global emissions, while diversifying and expanding renewable energy solutions.